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f  astoG.    PURCt      R»o*M 

ACCOUNT 


OF  THE 


TERRIFIC  MO  FATAL  RIOT 


AT  THE 


Kero-fjork  Ulster  place  ©pera  §oii0e, 

On  the  night  of  May  10th,   1849  ; 


WITH  THE 

QUARRELS  OF  FORREST  AND  MACREADY, 

INCLUDING  ALL  THE  CAUSES  WHICH  LED  TO  THAT 

AWFUL  TRAGEDY! 

Wherein  an  infuriated  mob  was  quelled  by  the  Public  Authorities  and  Military, 
■with  its  mournful  termination  in  the 

Sudden  Death  or  Mutilation  of  more  than  Fifty  Citizens, 

WITH  FULL  AND  AUTHENTIC  PARTICULARS. 


"  LET    JUSTICE    BE    DONE    THOUGH    THE    HEAVENS    FALL  !' 


NEW-YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  H.  M.'  RANNEY. 

1849. 


,.!<* 
»**.> 


Of 
2.4* 


L    69 


ACCOUNT 


OF  THE 


TERRIFIC  ANO  FATAL  RIOT 


AT  THE 


3Jeu)~|)ork  -istor  place  (Dpcra  j^ousc, 

On  the  night  of  May  10th,  1849  ; 
WITH  THE 

QUARRELS  OF  FORREST  AND  MACREADY. 

INCLUDING  ALL  THE  CAUSES  WHICH  LED  TO  THAT 

AWFUL  TRAGEDY! 

Wherein  an  infuriated  mob  \vas  quelled  by  the  Public  Authorities  and  Military, 
•^vith  its  mournful  termination  in  the 

Sudden  Death  or  Mutilation  of  more  than  Fifty  Citizens, 

WITH  FULL  AXD  AUTHENTIC  PARTICULARS. 


LET    JUSTICE    BE    DONE    THOUGH    THE    HEAVENS    FALL  !' 


NEW- YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  H.  M.   RANNEY. 
1849. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1S49, 

BY  H.  M.  RANNEY, 

In  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  in  and  for  the 

Southern  District  of  New  York. 


THE   RIOT. 


CHAPTER  FIRST. 

THE   NIGHT    OF   THE    lOTH    OF    MAY. 

On  the  night  of  the  10th  of  May,  1849,  the  Empire  City,  the 
great  metropolis  of  the  Union,  was  the  scene  of  one  of  those  horrors 
of  civilization,  which  for  a  time  make  the  great  heart  of  humanity 
stop  in  its  beatings.  In  the  darkness  of  night,  thousands  of  citizens 
were  gathered  in  a  central  square  of  the  most  aristocratic  quarter 
of  New  York — gathered  around  one  of  its  most  conspicuous  and 
magnificent  edifices,  the  Astor  Place  Opera  House. 

This  Opera  House  was  built  expressly  for  the  performance  of  the 
Italian  Opera,  but  has  been  used  at  intervals  for  the  legitimate 
drama,  for  vaudevilles,  and  for  balls  and  concerts.  It  is  fitted  up 
and  decorated  with  taste  and  magnificence,  and  in  the  opera  seasons 
has  been  attended  by  the  most  wealthy  and  fashionable  people,  who 
have  made  extravagant  displays  of  luxurious  adornment.  While  the 
private  boxes  were  taken  by  the  season,  by  those  who  wished  to  en- 
joy the  music,  liked  the  display,  and  could  afford  the  expenditure, 
the  other  seats  were  let  at  a  dollar  admission,  and  the  upper  tier  or 
amphitheatre  was  reserved  for  people  of  humbler  means  or  more  mo- 
dest pretensions,  at  twenty-five  cents  a  ticket. 

Around  this  edifice,  we  say,  a  vast  crowd  was  gathered.  On  the 
stage  the  English  actor  Macready  was  trying  to  play  the  part  of 
Macbeth,  in  which  he  was  interrupted  by  hisses  and  hootings,  and 
encouraged  by  the  cheers  of  a  large  audience,  who  had  crowded  the 
house  to  sustain  him.  On  the  outside  a  mob  was  gathering,  trying 
to  force  an  entrance  into  the  house,  and  throwing  volleys  of  stones  at 
the  barricaded  windows.  In  the  house  the  police  were  arresting 
those  who  made  the  disturbance — outside  they  were  driven  back  by 
volleys  of  paving  stones. 

In  the  midst  of  this  scene  of  clamor  and  outrage,  was  heard  the 
clatter  of  a  troop  of  horse  approaching  the  scene.  "  The  military — 
the  military  are  coming  !"  was  the  exclamation  of  the  crowd.  Fur- 
ther on  was  heard  the  quick  tramp  of  companies  of  infantry,  and 
there  was  seen  the  gleam  of  bayonets.  A  cry  of  rage  burst  from 
the  mob.  The  appearance  of  an  armed  force  seemed  to  inspire  them 
with  a  sudden  fury.     They  ceased  storming  the  Opera  House,  and 


6 

turned  their  volleys  against  the  horsemen.  Amid  piercing  yells  and 
execrations,  men  were  knocked  from  their  horses,  the  untrained  ani- 
mals were  frightened,  and  the  force  was  speedily  routed,  and  could 
not  afterwards  be  rallied  to  perform  any  efficient  service. 

Now  came  the  turn  of  the  infantry.  They  marched  down  the 
sidewalk  in  a  solid  column  ;  but  had  no  sooner  taken  up  a  position 
for  the  protection  of  the  house,  than  they  were  assailed  with  volleys 
of  missals.  Soldiers  were  knocked  down  and  carried  off  wounded. 
Officers  were  disabled.  An  attempt  to  charge  with  the  bayonet  was 
frustrated  by  the  dense  crowd  seizing  the  muskets,  and  attempting 
to  wrest  them  from  the  hands  of  the  soldiers.  At  last  the  awful 
word  was  given  to  fire — there  was  a  gleam  of  sulphurous  light,  a 
sharp  quick  rattle,  and  here  and  there  in  the  crowd  a  man  sank  upon 
the  pavement  with  a  deep  groan  or  a  death  rattle.  Then  caaie  a 
more  furious  attack,  and  a  wild  yell  of  vengeance  !  Then  the  rattle 
of  another  death-dealing  volley,  far  more  fatal  than  the  first.  The 
ground  was  covered  with  killed  and  wounded — the  pavement  was 
stained  with  blood.  A  panic  seized  the  multitude,  which  broke  and 
scattered  in  every  direction.  In  the  darkness  of  the  night  yells  of 
rage,  screams  of  agony,  and  dying  groans  were  mingled  together. 
Groups  of  men  took  up  the  wounded  and  the  dead,  and  conveyed 
them  to  the  neighboring  apothecary  shops,  station-houses,  and  the 
hospital. 

The  horrors  of  that  night  can  never  be  described.  We  looked 
over  the  scene  that  misty  midnight.  The  military,  resting  from  their 
work  of  death,  in  siern  silence  were  grimly  guarding  the  Opera 
House.  Its  interior  was  a  rendezvous  and  a  hospital  for  the  wound- 
ed military  and  police.  Here  and  there  around  the  building,  and  at 
the  corners  of  the  streets  were  crowds  of  men  talking  in  deep  and 
earnest  tones  of  indignation.  There  were  little  processions  moving 
off  with  the  dead  or  mutilated  bodies  of  their  friends  and  relations. 
A  husband,  uttering  frenzied  curses,  followed  his  mortally  wounded 
wife  to  the  hospital.  An  aged  mother  found  her  only  son,  the  sole 
support  of  her  declining  years,  in  the  agonies  of  death.  Many  a 
wife  sat  watching  at  home,  in  terror  and  alarm  for  her  absent  hus- 
band. It  was  an  evening  of  dread — and  it  became  anight  of  horror, 
which  on  the  morrow,  when  the  awful  tragedy  became  more  widely 
known,  settled  down  upon  the  city  like  a  funeral  pall. 

The  result  of  that  night's  work  was  the  death  of  twenty-two  vic- 
tims, either  shot  dead  upon  the  spot  or  mortally  wounded,  so  that 
they  died  within  a  few  days;  and  the  wounding  of  some  thirty 
more,  many  of  whom  will  be  maimed  for  life.  Into  the  causes 
which  led  to  a  result  so  fatal,  and  all  the  circumstances  attending  it, 
it  will  now  be  our  duty  to  inquire. 


I 
CHAPTER  SECOND. 

FORRKST    AND    MACREADY. 

Mr.  Edwin  Forrest,  the  American  Tragedian,  was  born,  some 
fortv-five  years  ago,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  He  was  born  in 
humble  life,  and  worked  his  way  up  from  poverty  and  obscurity  to 
wealth  and  fame,  by  the  power  of  genius.  When  a  boy,  he  made 
his  first  histrionic,  efforts  in  an  amateur  company;  afterwards,  lie 
made  a  professional  tour  at  the  west. 

After  various  adventures,  young  Forrest  found  himself  in  the  city 
of  New-York,  in  the  year  1826,  when  Gilfert  was  about  to  open 
the  Bowery  Theatre.  He  wanted  a  star  of  powerful  attraction,  and 
his  experienced  eye  fell  on  Forrest.  He  was  engaged — puffed  in 
all  the  papers  as  the  Native  Tragedian — the  patriotism  of  New- 
Yorkers  was  appealed  to — Forrest  used  his  mental  gifts  and  great 
personal  advantages  with  discretion  and  effect,  and  became  a  star 
of  the  first  magnitude ;  so  that,  in  a  short  time,  he  demanded  and 
received  two  hundred  dollars  a  night  for  his  performances;  and, 
with  energy  and  temperate  habits,  has  been  able  to  accumulate  an 
ample  fortune. 

After  his  first  successes — determined  to  shine  alone  as  a  star  of 
the  first  magnitude — he  offered  a  prize  of  five  hundred  dollars  for 
the  best  tragedy — suiting  his  powers  as  the  hero;  and  the  result 
was,  Mr.  Stone's  "  Metamora,"  Soon  after,  he  secured  the  "  Gladi- 
ator," written  by  Dr.  Bird.  These  have  been  his  most  successful 
performances,  and  in  them  he  has  had  no  competitor,  nor  is  it  likely 
that  he  would  find  an  equal. 

Mr.  William  C.  Macready  is  an  English  actor  of  great  eminence. 
He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Cork,  (Ireland,)  and  must  now  be  nearly 
seventy  years  old.  In  the  early  part  of  his  theatrical  career,  he 
was  most  distinguished  in  such  parts  as  "  Virginius,"  "  William  Tell," 
"  Pierre,"  "  Car  win,"  &c. ;  but  of  late,  he  has  given  his  chief  atten- 
tion to  the  plays  of  Shakspeare — in  which  he  has  shown  himself  a 
thorough  artist. 

In  1827 — one  year  after  the  successful  commencement  of  Mr. 
Forrest's  career  as  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude — Mr.  Macready 
visited  the  United  States.  In  a  fit  of  petulance,  in  which  such  act- 
ors are  too  apt  to  indulge,  Mr.  Macready  came  near  fomenting  a  dis- 
turbance in  Baltimore,  which,  but  for  his  adroit  management,  might 
have  caused  him  then  to  have  been  driven  from  the  American  stage. 
In  playing  "William  Tell,"  the  property-man  had  forgotten  to  fur- 
nish the  arrow  to  be  broken ;  and  Macready  was  obliged  to  break 
one  of  his  shooting  arrows.  In  his  anger  at  the  offending  party, 
he  said — "I  can't  get  such  an  arrow  in  your  country,  sir!"  or,  as  it 
was  reported — "  I  can't  get  wood  to  make  such  an  arrow  in  your 
country  !"     This  was  construed  into  an  insult  to  the  country.     Ano- 


8 

nyrnous  letters  were  sent  to  the  newspapers ;  but,  as  these  were 
sent  to  Mr.  M.,  he  had  an  opportunity  to  make  an  explanation,  and 
avoid  a  row. 

Macready  and  Forrest  were  starring  through  the  country,  playing 
alternate  engagements — but  not,  so  far  as  we  know,  developing  any 
very  decided  feelings  of  rivalry.  Their  roles  of  characters,  and 
spheres  of  action,  were  quite  apart ;  and  when  they  met  each  other, 
their  intercourse — as  it  was  many  years  afterward — was  of  the  most 
gentlemanly  character. 

About  the  year  1835,  Mr.  Forrest  went  to  Europe,  and  spent 
some  time  in  travelling  on  the  continent ;  after  which,  he  returned 
to  America  for  a  short  time ;  and  then  went  back  to  England,  to 
fulfil  professional  engagements — in  which  he  was  so  highly  success- 
ful, that  on  his  return,  he  was  honored  with  a  public  dinner  in  Phila- 
delphia ;  and  about  this  time,  he  was  tendered  a  nomination  to 
Congress  by  the  Democracy  of  New- York — before  whom  he  deliver- 
ed a  Fourth  of  July  oration. 

In  1844,  Mr.  Macready  visited  the  United  States.  He  and  Mr. 
Forrest  had  become  intimate  in  England ;  and  here,  Mr.  F.  tendered 
him  the  courtesies  due  to  so  distinguished  a  professional  brother ; 
but  it  so  happened,  that  in  most  of  the  cities  where  Macready  was 
engaged,  there  were  more  theatres  than  one — and,  of  consequence, 
rival  managers.  Where  one  of  these  had  secured  Mr.  Macready, 
the  other  was  anxious  to  get  the  best  talent  to  be  found  to  run 
against  him ;  and  there  was  no  one  so  available  as  Mr.  Forrest — 
who  is  not  the  man  to  refuse  a  profitable  engagement,  nor  did  any 
rule  of  courtesy  require  that  he  should  do  so. 

The  result  was,  that  the  constant  rivalry  of  Forrest,  though  carried 
on  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  could  not  fail  to  injure  the  success 
of  Macready.  A  certain  degree  of  partizanship  was  everywhere 
excited — for  Forrest  was  everywhere  placarded  as  the  "  American 
Tragedian," — and  the  tour  of  Mr.  Macready  was  comparatively  a 
failure.  A  sensitive  man  could  not  but  feel  this  ;  and  whether  he 
made  any  complaint  or  not,  his  friends  saw  what  the  difficulty  was, 
and  felt  not  a  little  chagrined  about  it;  and  when  Mr.  Forrest  made 
his  next  and  last  professional  visit  to  England,  this  feeling  among 
the  friends  of  Macready,  in  the  theatrical  press  and  the  play-going 
public,  found  its  vent.  The  opposition  to  him  was,  from  the  first, 
marked  and  fatal ;  and,  so  far  as  the  metropolis  was  concerned,  his 
tour  was  a  failure.  It  was  only  in  the  provinces — away  from  Lon- 
don influence — that  he  met  with  any  degree  of  success. 

There  was  no  need  of  Mr.  Macready  taking  any  active  part  in  this 
matter ;  and  there  is  no  proof  that  he  did  so,  but  much  to  the  con- 
trary ;  but  Mr.  Forrest  hastily  and  indignantly,  and,  we  doubt  not, 
sincerely,  charged  it  upon  Mr.  Mac-ready  ;  and  one  night,  when  the 
latter  was  playing  in  "Hamlet,"  at  the  Theatre  in  Edinburgh,  Mr. 
Forrest,  who  was  seated  in  a  private  box,  had  the  bad  taste,  as  well 
as  bad  feeling,  to  hiss  a  portion  of  his  performance  in  the  most 
marked  and  offensive  manner. 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Forrest  gives  his  own  account  of 


this  affair,   which  differs  somewhat  from  the  statements  of  Mr.  Ma- 
cready's  friends,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  London  Times, — Sir, — Having  seen  in  your  jonrnal  of 
the  12th  instant,  an  article  headed  "  Professional  Jealousy,"  a  part  of  which  ori- 
ginally appeared  in  The  Scotsman  published  in  Edinburgh,  1  beg  Leave,  through 
the  medium  of  your,  columns,  to  state,  that  at  the  time  of  its  publication,  1  ad- 
dressed a  letter*  to  the  Editor  of  The  Scotsman  upon  the  subject,  which,  as  I 
then  was  in  Dumfries,  I  sent  to  a  friend  in  Edinburgh,  requesting  him  to  obtain 
its  insertion;  but  as  I  was  informed,  The  Scotsman  refused  to  receive  any  com- 
munication upon  the  subject.  I  need  say  nothing  of  the  injustice  of  this  refusal 
Here  then  I  was  disposed  to  let  the  matter  rest,  as  upon  more  mature  reflection, 
I  did  not  deem  it  worth  further  attention  ;  but  now,  as  the  matter  has  assumed 
"  a  questionable  shape"  by  the  appearance  of  the  article  in  your  journal,  I  feel 
called  upon,  although  reluctantly,  to  answer  it. 

There  are  two  legitimate  modes  of  evincing  approbation  and  disapprobation 
in  the  theatre — one  expressive  of  approbation,  by  the  clapping  of  hands,  and 
the  other  by  hisses  to  mark  dissent;  and  as  well-timed  and  hearty  applause,  is 
the  just  meed  of  the  actor  who  deserves  well,  so  also  is  hissing,  a  salutary  and 
wholesome  corrective  of  the  abuses  of  the  stage;  and  it  was  against  one  of  these 
abuses  that  my  dissent  was  expressed,  and  not,  as  was  stated,  "  with  a  view  of 
expressing  his  (my)  disapproval  of  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Macready  gave 
effect  to  a  particular  passage."  The  truth  is,  Mr.  Macready  thought  fit  to  in- 
troduce a  fancy  dance  into  his  performance  of  "  Hamlet,"  winch  I  thought,  and 
still  think,  a  desecration  of  the  scene,  and  at  which  I  evinced  that  disapprobation, 
for  which  the  pseudo-critic  is  pleased  to  term  me  an  "  offender,"  and  this  wTas 
the  only  time  during  the  performanoe  that  I  did  so,  although  the  writer  evident- 
ly seeks,  in  the  article  alluded  to,  to  convey  a  different  impression.  It  must  be 
observed  also,  that  I  was  by  no  means  "  solitary"  in  this  expression  of  opinion. 

That  a  man  may  manifest  his  pleasure  or  displeasure  after  the  recognised 
mode,  according  to  the  best  of  his  judgment,  actuated  by  proper  motives,  and 
for  justifiable  ends,  is  a  right,  which,  until  now,  I  have  never  once  heard  ques- 
tioned, and  I  contend,  that  right  extends  equally  to  an  actor,  in  his  capacity  as 
a  spectator,  as  to  any  other  man  ;  besides,  from  the  nature  of  his  studies,  he  is 
much  more  competent  to  judge  of  a  theatrical  performance  than  any  soidisant 
critic,  who  has  never  himself  been  an  actor.  The  writer  of  the  article  in  The 
Scotsman,  who  has  most  unwarrantably  singled  me  out  for  public  animadversion, 
has  carefully  omitted  to  notice  the  fact,  that  I  warmly  applauded  several  points 
of  Mr.  Macready's  performance  ;  and  more  than  once  I  regretted  -(hat  the  au- 
dience did  not  second  me  in  so  doing.  As  to  the  pitiful  charge  of  professional 
jealousy  preferred  against  me,  I  dismiss  it  with  the  contempt  it  merits,  confi- 
dently relying  upon  all  those  of  the  profession  with  whom  I  have  been  associ- 
ated, for  a  refutation  of  tins  slander. 

Yours,  respectfully, 
i  Edwix  Forrest. 

Mi*rch,  1846.  .  —Times,  4th  of  April. 


CHAPTER  THIRD. 

THE    QUARREL    RECOMMENCED    IN    AMERICA. 

Mr.  Forrest,  chagrined  by  his  failure  in  England,  and  madden- 
ed at  what  he  imagined  to  be  the  malign  influence  of  Macready,  re- 
turned to  the  United  States  after  a  vain  attempt  to  secure  an  en- 
gagement in  Paris,  in  which  he  supposed  the  same  influence  had 


10 

defeated  him.  He  had  publicly  hissed  Macready  in  Edinburgh,  had 
avowed  the  act,  and  given  his  reasons.  His  friends  here  felt  much 
as  the  friends  of  Mr.  Macready  hud  felt  in  England  ;  and  when  the 
latter  last  year  came  on  another  professional  visit  to  the  United 
States,  he  found  that  a  bitter  feeling  had  been  raised  against  him, 
which  found  its  first  expression,  so  far  as  we  know,  in  the  follow- 
ing article,  that  appeared  in  the  Boston  Mail  on  the  morning  of  Mr. 
Macreadv's  appearance  at  the  Howard  Athemeum,  Boston,  Mon- 
day, Oct.  30th,  1848. 

[Boston  Mail,  Oct.  30th,  1848.] 

Jlore  about  Macready — His  abuse  of  Forrest  in  Europe — Endeavors  to  put  him 
down  in  Paris,  London  and  Edinburgh — His  Intrigue  with  Bulwer  to  prevent 
Forrest  pi aying  m  Buhner's  l)ieccs — His  Abuse  of  Americans. 

Mr.  Macready  has  at  length  arrived,  and  next  to  the  grand  water  celebration, 

will  create  such  excitement,  as  will  emphatically  mark  the  present  epoch  in 
time's  calendar.  He  plays  this  evening  at  the  Howard  Athenaauin,  and  refuses 
to  show  himself  for  less  than  one  dollar  a  ticket.  Ibis  was  his  price  in  New 
York,  and  with  ihe  exception  of  the  first  night,  resulted  in  a  "  beggarly  account 
of  empty  boxes."  A-Ve  repeat  -what  Ave  said  in  a  former  article,  thai 
the  enterprising  manager  of  the  National  Theatre,  deserves  immortal  honors  for 
not  acceding  to  the  dictatorial  terms  of  this  actor  autocrat.  Although  Macready 
saw  fit  on  his  opening  night  in  New  York,  on  being  called  out  by  'Some  friends, 
to  slur  a  "  certain  penny  paper,"  that  had  "  dared"  to  express  an  opinion  regard- 
ing his  talents  and  conduct,  we  shall  jiot  by  any  means  give  him  the  retort 
churlish  ;  we  only  pity  his  ignorance  of  the  institutions  of  this  country,  and  hope 
for  his  own  credit's  sake  that  he  will  not,  when  he  gets  home,  write  a  black  book- 
about  American  manners,  Are,  a  la  Trollope  and  others,  but  if  he  does,  that  he 
will  spare  us  in  the  production  of  his  brain.  The  reader  will  no  doul 
what  fault  we  find  with  Mr.  Macready.  Has  lie  not  the  same  right  ns  other 
men  have,  to  do  as  he  pleases  \  We  answer  yes.  lie  has  a  right  to  come  to 
this  country  in  the  exercise  of  his  profession  ;  he  has  a  right  to  demand  a  dollar 
from  every  person  who  witnesses  his  acting,  and  if  managers  of  Theatn 
willing  to  accede  to  his  arbitrary  proposals,  he  has  certainly  a  right  to  make 
them.  We  complain  not  of  any  of  these.  Our  charges  against  Macready  are 
based  upon  more  important  grounds,  It  is  his  conduct  in  his  own  country  in 
relation  to  Mr.  Forrest,  that  we  are  about  investigating;  his  inhospitality,  his 
crushing  influence,  his  vindictive  opposition,  <nt<J  Iiis  steadfast  determination  to 
ruin  the  prospects  of  that  ;  in  England,  thai  wo  bring  to  his  door. 

Let  him  deny  them  if  lie  can.  Every  true  American  takes  a  pride  in  that 
which  represents  liis  country's  interests,  industry,  and  enterprise,  and  from  the 
smallest  commodity  gathered  from  his  soil  to  the  Loftiesi  Labors  of  his  genius, 
his  ambition  goes  with  it,  and  the  strong  arm  of  his  power   will    protect  it  in 

every  clime.     Mr.  Edwin  Forrest  is  titled  the  American  Tragedian — he  is  justly 
entitled  to  that  honor — he  has  acquired  it   by  his  own  labors;  from  a  poor  boy 
in  a  circus,  lie  has  arisen  to  I  8    a   man   of  fame  and  wealth,  all  of  which  ! 
lastingly  gained  by  enterprise  and  talent,  and  secured  both  by  economy  and 

TKMlM.l: 

Every  American-born  man  is  willing  thai  Mr.  Forresl  should  wear  this  title, 

and   when   he   vbiied    England  they   were  anxiously   interested   in  his  success. 

Macready  had  previously   been  in  this  country,  and  played  engagements  in 

every  city,  and  made  a  fortune.      He  was  extolled  by   the  press,  and  treated  as 

a  gentleman  by  the  citizens  of  everj  place  he  visited,     but  instead  of  returning 

this  kindness,  lie  acted  openly  toward-  Mr.  !•'<  -i  i  .-t  as  his  determined  fee.      We 

speak  by  card, and  write  upon  the  very  best  information,  viz.,  the  highest  autho- 
rity.     In  Paris   Mr.  Macready  and    Mr.  Forrest  met.     The  latter  was  anxious  to 


11 

appear  on  the  French  boards ;  but  Macready  threw  obstacles  in  the  way,  and 
this  was  the  first  time  that  the  (wo  parties  were  enemies.  Mr.  Mitchell,  the 
enterprising  lessee  of  St.  James  Theatre  in  London,  took  an  English  company  of 

actors  to  the  French  capital,  with  Mr.  Macready  at  the  head  of  the  list.  Mac- 
ready  was  to  he  the  hero — the  great  attraction  of  Paris,  lie  failed,  however, 
to  draw  money  to  the  treasury,  and  Mr.  Mitchell  lost  a  large  sum  by  the  specu- 
lation, or  rather  would  have  lost  it,  if  Louis  Philippe  had  not  made  him  most 
liberal  presents.  Mr.  Forrest  had  letters  of  introduction  to  Mr.  Mitchell  from 
his  friends  in  London,  but  Macready  was  jealous,  lest  Forrest  should  prove  to 
be  the  great  star,  and  he  cautioned  Mitchell  not  to  allow  Forrest  to  appear. 
The  result  was  that  Mr.  Mitchell  refused  to  see  Mr.  Forrest. 

The  parties  returned  to  London.  The  hypocrisy  of  Macready  is  apparent  in 
his  note  of  invitation  to  Mr.  Forrest  to  dine  with  him.  The  latter,  knowing  the 
intrigue  that  had  been  carried  on  in  Paris  between  Macready  and  Mitchell,  re- 
fused, as  every  high-minded  man  should,  to  dine  with  him.  This  is  a  very  diffe- 
rent version  to  that  recently  given  by  some  of  Macready's  friends — if  friends  he 
have — that  Forrest  was  offended  because  he  was  not  invited  to  dine  ;  as  if  such 
a  man  as  Mr.  Forrest  could  take  offence  at  such  a  trifle,  when  at  the  same  time 
he  was  invited  to  dine  with  many  of  the  leading  nobility  of  England,  but  espe- 
cially of  Scotland,  where  he  passed  several  months  as  their  guest. 

The  next  mean  act  towards  Forrest,  brought  about  through  the  influence  of 
Macready,  was  when  Mr.  F.  appeared  at  the  Princess's  Theatre  in  London. 
Mac  had  been  endeavoring  for  a  long  time"  to  effect  an  engagement  with  some 
London  manager,  but  was  unsuccessful.  The  success  of  Forrest  stung  him,  and 
he  resolved  to  "  put  him  down."  It  was  said  at  the  time  that  he  or  his  friends 
actually  hired  men  to  visit  the  theatre,  and  hiss  Forrest  off  the  stage,  and  For- 
rest was  consequently  received  with  a  shower  of  hisses  before  he  was  heard. 
This  mean  conduct  was  followed  up  by  the  press,  by  which  Forrest  was  most 
outrageously  assailed,  and  not  Forrest  alone,  but  Ins  country,  which  is  proud 
to  own  him  as  one  of  her  sons. 

Forrest  and  Macready  next  met  in  Edinburgh,  and  from  this  city  were  sent 
forth  the  grossest  calumnies  against  Forrest.  Macready  was  playing  at  the 
Theatre  Royal  in  Hamlet — Forrest  was  present.  During  the  beginning  of  the 
piece  Mr.  Forrest  applauded  several  times,  and,  as  we  are  informed  by  an  eye- 
witness, he  started  the  applause  when  some  brilliant  effect  had  been  given  to  a 
passage,  so  that  the  whole  house  followed  him.  But  now  comes  Forrest's  great 
sin — that  giant  sin  which  Mac  will  never  forgive — the  sin  of  hissing  Macready 
for  dancing  and  throwing  up  his  handkerchief  across  the  stage  in  the  Pas  de 
Mouchoir. 

Mi\  F.  not  only  hissed,  but  the  whole  house  hissed,  and  yet  Macready  dared  to 
write  to  London,  that  Forrest  had  singly  and  alone  attempted  to  hiss  him  from 
the  stage. 

To  show  that  Mr.  Forrest  was  not  alone  in  this  matter,  we  are  able  to  state 
that  two  weeks  afterwards  Hamlet  was  repeated,  when  the  whole  house  again 
liissed  Macready's  dance  across  the  stage. 

Out  of  this  simple  incident  Macready  contrived  to  create  a  great  deal  of  sym- 
pathy for  himself.  He  is,  or  was,  part  proprietor  of  the  London  Examiner  ;  or 
if  not  sole  owner,  he  possesses  the  body  and  soul  of  its  theatrical  critic,  Foster, 
who  does  all  kinds  of  dirty  work  for  his  master.  Macready  gave  the  cue  to  Fos- 
ter, and  Forrest  was  denounced  by  the  Examiner  and  other  papers,  in  which 
Foster  or  Mac  had  any  influence.  A  false  coloring  was  put  on  this  affair,  and 
Mac  appeared  to  the  world  as  a  persecuted  man,  whereas  Forrest  was  the  one 
who  met  with  persecution  at  every  corner — in  Paris,  in  London,  in  Edinburgh, 
and  in  London  a  second  time. 

But  Macready's  persecution  did  not  stop  here.  Forrest  wished  to  appear  hi 
London,  in  Bulwer's  Lady  of  Lyons  and  Richelieu.  To  do  this,  permission  must 
be  obtained  of  the  author.  Forrest  addressed  a  note  to  Bulwer,  asking  his  terms 
for  the  plays.  After  a  long  delay,  Bulwer  replied,  that  he  should  charge  For- 
rest £2  per  night  for  the  use  of  them,  and  he  must  play  40  nights !  Such  terms 
for  plays,  that  had  in  a  great  measure  lost  their  interest,  compelled  Forrest  to 
reject  them.    It  was  ascertained  that  Macready  and  Bulwer  had  been  much  to- 


12 

gether,  and  that  the  former  had  prevailed  on  the  latter  not  to  allow  Forrest  the 
use  of  his  compositions. 

Forrest  could  not  entertain  any  jealous  feelings  towards  Mac,  for  he  drew 
crowded  houses  during  his  engagement  at  the  Princess's  Theatre,  whereas  Mac- 
ready  had  very  slim  audiences ;  and  on  one  occasion  we  know  that  our  own 
charming  actress,  Mrs.  Barrett,  on  one  of  the  off-nights,  at  the  time  Mac  was 
playing,  actually  chew  more  money  to  the  treasury  than  Macready. 

We  have  now  given  a  plain  statement  of  facts,  and  such  as  cannot  be  contro- 
verted. It  proves  that  actors,  like  Macready,  Anderson,  and  others,  find  it  very1 
hard  scratching  in  their  own  country,  and  much  better  pickings  here.  It  is  to  be 
hoped,  however,  that  we  Americans  will  finally  become  awakened  to  the  mer- 
cenary motives  of  such  artistes,  and  when  we  have  any  surplus  of  dollars  to 
spend,  that  we  will  be  generous  and  just  to  our  own  home  genius. 

Here  is  displayed  the  feeling  of  the  friends  of  Mr.  Forrest,  and  to 
a  great  extent  of  Mr.  Forrest  himself,  for  the  writer  of  this  article 
asserts  that  its  statements  are  made  on  the  "very  highest  authority." 
On  his  part  Mr.  Macready  unwisely  alluded  to  this  article  in  one  of 
his  before-the-curtain  speeches,  speaking  contemptuously  of  the  at- 
tacks of  a  certain  penny  paper.  But  the  Bostonians  are  a  quiet  peo- 
ple, and  Macready  and  Forrest  played  through  their  engagements 
without  any  popular  demonstration.  At  New  York  Macready  play- 
ed at  the  Opera  House,  and  Forrest  at  the  Broadway  Theatre. 
There  were  rumors  of  a  disturbance,  but  they  amounted  to  nothing. 
Both  engagements  were  finished  in  peace,  and  both  actors  went  to 
fulfil  engagements  at  the  rival  theatres  in  Philadelphia. 

Now  Forrest  had  made  some  pretence  of  retiring  from  the  stage — 
he  had  built  him  a  splendid  castle  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  and 
had  achieved  a  splendid  fortune — but  here  he  was,  following  up 
Macready  step  by  step,  and  making  no  concealment  of  his  enmity. 
His  friends  were  doubtless  busy,  especially  in  Philadelphia,  his  birth 
place.  The  two  actors  made  mouths  and  speeches  at  each  other. 
One  night  Macready  alluded  to  the  ungenerous  treatment  he  had 
received  from  a  rival  actor.  This  brought  Forrest  out  in  the  follow- 
ing 

CARD. 

Mr.  Macready,  in  his  speech,  lagt  night,  to  the  audience  assembled  at  the  Arch 
Street  Theatre,  made  allusion,  I  understand,  to  "an  American  actor''  who  had 
the  temerity,  on  one  occasion,  "  open/;/  to  hiss  him."  This  is  true,  and  by  the 
way,  the  only  truth  which  I  have  been  enabled  to  gather  from  the  whole  scope 
of  liis  address.  ]hit  why  say  "  an  American  actor?"  Why  not  openly  charge 
me  witli  the  act?  for  I  did  it,  and  publicly  avowed  it  in  the  Times  newspaper 
of  London,  and  at  the  same  time  asserted  my  righl  to  do  so. 

On  the  occasion  alluded  to,  Mr.  Macready  introduced  a  fancy  dance  into  his 

performance  of  Hamlet,  which  I  designated  as  &peu  de  mouehoir,  and  which  I 

:   for  [  thought  it  a  desecration  of  the  scene,  and  the  audience  thought  so 

too,  for  in  a  lew  nights  afterwards,  when  Mr.  Macready  repeated  the  part  of 
Hamlet,  with  the  same  "  turn  foolery,"  the  intelligenl  audience  ni  Bdinbuigfe 
greeted  it  with  a  universal  hiss. 

Mr.  Macready  is  slated  to  have  said  last,  right,  "thai  np  to  the  time  of  this  act 
on  my  part, he  had  "never  entertained  towards  me  a  reeling  of  unkindnets."  I 
unhesitatingly  pronounce  this  to  be  a  wilful  and  unblushing  falsehood.  I  moHt 
solemnly  aver  and  do  believe,  thai  Mr.  Macready,  instigated  by  his  narrow  anvi 

ous  mind,  and  his  selfish  fears,  did  tecretlff—  not  open/;/ — suborn  several  writoi 


13 

for  the  English  press,  to  write  me  down.  Among  them  was  one  Forster,  a 
"  toady"  of  the  eminent  tragedian — one  who  is  ever  ready  to  do  his  dirty  work  ; 
and  this  Forster,  at  the  bidding  of  lus  patron,  attacked  me  in  print  even  before  I 
appeared  upon  the  London  boards,  and  continued  his  abuse  at  every  opportuni- 
ty afterwards. 

I  assert,  also,  and  solemnly  believe,  that  Mr.  Macready  connived,  when  lus 
friends  went  to  the  theatre  in  London  to  hiss  me,  and  did  hiss  me,  with  the  pur- 
pose of  driving  me  from  the  stage — and  all  tliis  happened  many  months  before 
the  affair  at  Edinburgh,  to  which  Mr.  Macready  refers,  and  in  relation  to  which 
he  jesuitically  remarks,  that  "  until  that  act,  he  never  entertained  towards  me  a 
feeling  of  unkindness."  Bah  !  Mr.  Macready  has  no  feeling  of  kindness  for  any 
actor  who  is  likely,  by  his  talent,  to  stand  in  his  way.  His  whole  course  as 
manager  and  as  actor  proves  this — there  is  nothing  in  him  but  self — self — self — 
and  his  own  countrymen,  the  English  actors,  know  this  well.  Mr.  Macready  lias 
a  very  lively  imagination,  and  often  draws  upon  it  for  his  facts.  He  said  in  a 
speech  at  New  York,  that  there,  also,  there  was  an  "  organized  opposition"  to 
him,  which  is  likewise  false.  There  was  no  opposition  manifested  towards  him 
there — for  I  was  in  the  city  at  the  time,  and  was  careful  to  watch  every  move- 
ment with  regard  to  such  a  matter.  Many  of  my  friends  called  upon  me  when 
Mr.  Macready  was  announced  to  perform,  and  proposed  to  drive  him  from  the 
stage  for  his  conduct  towards  me  in  London.  My  advice  was,  do  nothing — let 
the  superannuated  driveller  alone — to  oppose  him  would  be  but  to  make  him  of 
some  importance.  My  friends  agreed  with  me  it  was,  at  least,  the  most  dignified 
course  to  pursue,  and  it  was  immediately  adopted.  With  regard  to  "  an  organ- 
ized opposition  to  him"  in  Boston,  this  is,  I  believe,  equally  false,  but  perhaps  in 
charity  to  the  poor  old  man,  I  should  impute  these  "  chimeras  dire,"  rather  to 
the  disturbed  state  of  his  guilty  conscience,  than  to  any  desire  on  his  part  wilful- 
ly to  misrepresent. 

Edwin  Forrest. 

Philadelphia,  Nov.  21,  1848. 

This  violent  and  vindictive,  but  characteristic  manifesto,  as  may 
be  supposed,  did  not  help  Mr.  Forrest's  cause  very  materially,  with 
quiet  and  well-judging  people,  but  it  probably  found  sympathy 
among  heated  partizans,  and  those  who  supposed  the  honor  and 
glory  of  the  country  was  at  stake.  Mr.  Macready  appears  to  have 
made  up  his  mind  at  once  to  sue  Forrest  for  a  libel,  and  accordingly 
he  issued  the  following  : — 

CARD 

TO  THE  PUBLIC  OF  PHILADELPHIA. 

In  a  card  published  in  the  Public  Ledger  and  other  morning  papers  of  this 
day,  Mr.  Forrest  having  avowed  himself  the  author  of  the  statements,  which  Mr. 
Macready  has  solemnly  pledged  his  honor  to  be  without  the  least  foundation, 
Mr.  Macready  cannot  be  wanting  in  self-respect  so  far  as  to  bandy  words  upon 
the  subject,  but  as  the  circulation  of  such  statements  is  manifestly  calculated  to 
prejudice  Mr.  Macready  in  the  opinion  of  the  American  Public,  and  affect  both 
nis  professional  interests  and  his  estimation  in  society,  Mr.  Macready  respectful- 
ly requests  the  public  to  suspend  their  judgment  upon  the  question,  until  the 
decision  of  a  Legal  Tribunal,  before  which  he  will  immediately  take  measures  to 
bring  it,  and  before  which  he  will  prove  lus  veracity,  hitherto  unquestioned,  shall 
place  the  truth  beyond  doubt. 

Reluctant  as  he  is  to  notice  further  Mr.  Forrest's  Card,  Mr.  Macready  has  to 
.observe,  that  when  Mr.  Forrest  appeared  at  the  Princess's  Theatre  in  London, 
he  himself  was  absent  some  hundred  miles  from  that  city,  and  was  ignorant  of 
his  engagement  until  after  it  had  begun ;  that  not  one  single  notice  on  Mr. 
Foirest's  acting  appeared  in   the  Examiner  during  that  engagement  (as  its 


14 

files  will  prove,)  Mr.  Forster,  the  distinguished  Editor,  whom  Mr.  Macready  has 
the  honor  to  calL  his  friend,  having  been  confined  to  his  bed  with  a  rheumatic 
fever  during  the  whole  period,  and  some  weeks  before  and  after. 

For  the  other  aspersions  npon  Mr.  Macready,  published  in  the  Boston  Mail, 
and  now,  as  it  is  understood,  avowed  by  Mr.  Forrest,  Mr.  Macready  will  without 
delay  appeal  for  legal  redress. 

Jones's  Hotel,  Hov.  22d,  1848. 

Immediately  after  publishing  the  above,  Mr.  Macready  committed 
to  Lis  counsel,  Messrs.  Reed  cv;  Meredith,  of  Philadelphia,  authority 
to  commence  such  legal  proceedings  as  they  might  deem  advisable  : 
and,  preparatory  thereto,  he  obtained  from  England  the  documenta- 
ry evidence. 

As  regards  the  charge  of  suborning  the  English  press,  it  will  be 
sufficient  here  to  refer  to  the  Times,  Globe,  Observer,  Spectator, 
Morning  Chronicle,  Morning  Post,  Weekly  Dispatch,  Britannia,  evrc, 
&c,  of  dates  Dec.  13,  14,  15,  16,  &c,  which  have  indignantly  and 
emphatically  denied  the  charge  ;  many  of  which  denials  have  already 
been  republished  in  the  American  newspapers. 

It  appears,  however,  that  when  Mr.  Macready  came  to  consult  his 
legal  advisers,  two  eminent  Philadelphia  lawyers,  they  wisely  advised 
him  to  let  the  matter  drop,  and  be  satisfied  with  his  reputation.  So 
Macready  went  South,  and  was  feted  and  feasted  in  New  Orleans  to 
his  heart's  content,  but  to  the  grievous  discontent  of  Mr.  Forrest  and 
his  numerous  admirers. 

In  the  meantime,  Macready  had  written  to  England  for  evidence  to 
prove  that  the  statements  in  Mr.  Forrest's  Philadelphia  card  were 
libelous ;  and  when  he  decided  to  give  up  his  law  suit,  he  caused 
these  documents  to  be  printed  in  a  pamphlet,  which  hoAvever,  he 
soon  withdrew  from  public  circulation.  There  were  letters  from 
Edinburgh  to  prove  that  Mr.  Forrest  was  alone  in  hissing  the  "fancy 
dance"  in  Hamlet;  letters  from*  the  proprietor  and  theatrical  critic 
of  the  London  Examiner,  to  show  that  Macready  had  not  influenced 
any  criticisms  on  Forrest  in  that  paper;  from  Sir  E.  Bulwer  Lytton, 
asserting  that  he  had  offered  his  plays  to  Mr.  Forrest  for  a  fair  consid- 
eration, and  had  not  withheld  them  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Macready, 
with  other  equally  pertinent  documents.  Hut  what  avail  were  these? 
The  friends  of  Forresi  felt  sure?  that  he  had  been  shamefully  treated 
in  England,  by  the  friends  of  Macready  ;  and  whether  he  was  a  party 
to  the  matter  or  not,  they  meant  to  hold  him  responsible,  and  there- 
fore it  was  determined  that  lie  should  never  play  another  engage- 
ment in  New  Fork,  and  that  determination  was  enforced,  but  oh  I  at 
what  a  fearful  sacrifice. 


15 


CHAPTER  FOURTH, 

THE     PLOT     THICKENS THE     ENGAGEMENT     AT     THE     OPERA.    HOUSE — > 

MAOREADI     DRIVEN    FROM    THE    STAGE. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  this  was  the  first  manifestation  of 
patriotic  indignation  on  the  part  of  the  friends  of  Mr.  Forre!  . 
account  of  his  treatment  in  England.  It  was  a  deep  and  v 
feeling,  and  was  ready  to  burst  out  on  any  fitting  occasion.  It 
threatened  Mr.  Anderson,  and  in  Philadelphia  an  effort  was  made  to 
drive  him  from  the  stage  ;  but  a  better  feeling  prevailed.  Anderson 
was  not  charged  witli  any  ill-will  to  Mr.  Forrest,  and  the  opposition 
to  him  was  abandoned  :  yet  there  were  not  wanting  persons  who 
contended  that  every  English  actor  ought  to  be  driven  from  the 
American  stage,  in  revenge  for  the  insult  offered  by  England  to  this 
country,  in  the  person  of  Edwin  Forrest. 

But  when  Macready,  who  was  charged  by  Forrest  himself  with 
being  the  head  and  front  of  this  offending,  came  to  the  United  States, 
the  flame  of  hatred  was  ready  to  burst  forth,  and  the  only  wonder 
is,  that  it  remained  pent  up  so  long.  On  his  return  from  the  South, 
Messrs.  Niblo  and  Hackett,  who  had  taken  the  Opera  House  for  that 
purpose,  announced  that  Mr.  Macready  would  open  an  engagement 
on  Monday  night,  May  7th.  Mr.  Forrest  was  playing  at  the  Broad  way 
Theatre.  Previous  to  the  commencement  of  this  engagement,  Mr. 
Macready  gave  a  reading  of  a  play  of  Shakspeare  before  the  teachers 
of  the  public  schools  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn. 

The  announcement  of  this  engagement  was  the  signal  for  an  out- 
break of  long-smothered  indignation.  It  was  determined  that  Mr. 
Forrest  should  be  avenged,  and  that  Macready  should  not  be  permitted 
to  play  before  a  New  York  audience.  There  was  a  combination  of 
exciting  causes — the  feeling  against  England  and  Englishmen,  handed 
down  to  us  from  the  Revolution,  and  kept  fresh  by  the  insults  and 
abuse  of  British  writers  on  American  manners — the  injury  committed 
against  Forrest,  with  Macready  as  its  presumed  cause,  and  this  was 
increased  by  the  fact  of  Macready  playing  at  the  aristocratic,  kid- 
glove  Opera  House.  Far  be  it  from  us  to  justify  these  feelings — it 
is  our  duty  simply  to  state  the  fact  of  their  existence. 

The  public  and  magistrates  have  been  accustomed  to  look  upon 
theatrical  disturbances,  rows,  and  riots,  as  different  in  their  character 
from  all  others.  The  stage  is  presumed  to  be  a  correction  of  the 
manners  and  morals  of  the  public,  and  on  the  other  hand  the  public 
has  been  left  to  correct,  in  its  own  energetic  way,  the  manners  and 
morals  of  the  stage ;  and  magistrates,  looking  upon  it  as  a  matter 
betwreen  the  actors  and  the  audience,  have  generally  refused  to 
interfere,  unless  there  was  a  prospect  of  a  violent  breach  of  the 
peace,  when  they  have  usually  ordered  the  house  to  be  closed.  In 
these  theatrical  disturbances,  performances  have  been  hissed,  plays 
damned,  and   actors   and   actresses    driven  from   the    stage,   with 


J6 

whatever  degree  of  force  has  been  necessary  for  their  rejection.  This, 
has  been  the  practice  in  the  United  States,  as  well  as  in  Europe,  and 
no  actor,  in  any  free  country,  has  thought  of  acting  with  a  posse  of 
police  at  his  back ;  much  less,  a  file  of  soldiers,  or  a  piece  of  artillery, 
to  defend  his  rights. 

On  the  announcement  of  Mr.  Macready's  engagement  at  the  Opera 
House,  it  was  determined  that  there  should  be  a  pretty  forcible 
expression  of  opinion  on  the  part  of  those  who  were  indignant  at  the 
treatment  of  Mr.  Forrest  in  England,  and  were  willing,  for  any  reason, 
to  revenge  it  on  Mr.  Macready.  There  was,  doubtless,  some  organi- 
zation of  forces,  to  bring  about  this  result,  and  one  person,  the  well- 
known  Capt.  Rvnders,  admits  that  he  purchased  and  distributed 
among  his  friends  fifty  tickets,  with  the  understanding  that  those  Avho 
used  them  were  to  assist  in  hissing  Macready  from  the  stage.  Other 
sums  of  money  were  given,  and  when  the  night  arrived,  it  was  esti- 
mated, by  the  Chief  of  Police,  that  not  less  than  five  hundred  persons 
were  engaged  in  the  disturbance. 

The  night  came — the  house  was  crowded,  and  there  was  an  ominous 
looking  gallery.  The  curtain  rose,  and  some  of  the  actors,  who  were 
popular  favorites,  were  received  with  obstreperous  applause  ;  but 
when  Macready  appeared  upon  the  stage,  in  the  character  of  Macbeth, 
he  was  assailed  by  a  storm  of  hisses,  yells,  and  a  clamor  that  defies 
description.  He  stood  his  ground  firmly,  and  the  play  went  on,  but 
not  a  word  could  be  heard  by  the  audience.  It  was  in  dumb  show. 
The  clamor  rose  higher  and  higher,  and  as  hisses  and  threats,  cat-calls 
and  yells,  were  not  enough  to  drive  the  obnoxious  actor  from  the 
stage,  less  legitimate  means  were  resorted  to.  Rotten  eggs  were 
thrown,  pennies,  and  other  missues ;  and  soon,  still  more  outrageous 
demonstrations  were  made,  and  chairs  were  thrown  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  house,  so  as  to  peril  life. 

The  Chief  of  Police  was  present,  with  a  number  of  policemen ; 
but  the  rioters  boldly  defied  the  authorities,  and  no  arrests  were 
attempted.  It  is  said,  in  excuse,  that  the  rioters  were  in  overpow- 
ering numbers,  that  they  were  prepared  to  resist  and  rescue,  and  that 
they  had  even  prepared  papers  of  gunpowder  to  throw  into  the 
magnificent  chandelier.  A  large  portion  of  the  audience  consisted 
of  ladies,  whose  lives  might  have  been  endangered,  and  there  was 
nothing  to  do  but  to  stop  the  performance.  The  curtain  went  down  ; 
cheers  were  given  for  Forrest,  and  groans  for  Macready,  and  the 
crowd  dispersed. 

Mr.  Macready  supposed  that  his  engagement  was  terminated. 
He  had  no  idea  of  ever  making  a  second  appearance;  but  his  friends 
and  the  enemies  of  Forrest  insisted  upon  a  different  course.  1 1 « -  was 
assured  that  the  public  would  sustain  him,  and  the  managers  did  not 
wish  to  lose  the  profits  of  his  engagement.  Mr.  Hacketl  is  a  personal 
enemy  of  Forrest,  and  he  was  determined  to  play  Macready  against 
him  at  all  hazards.  Finally,  a  number  of  influential  citizens,  men  of 
wealth  and  standing,  with  Washington  Irving  at  their  head,  wrote  a 
forma]  request  to  Mr,  Macready  that  he  should  play  out  his  engage- 
ment! and  pledging  themselves  that  the  public  should  sustain  him; 


17 

and  it  was  determined  and  announced  that  he  should  appear  on 
Thursday  evening,  May  10th. 

This  announcement,  as  may  be  supposed,  excited  the  indignation 
of  those  who  had  driven  him  from  the  stage.  It  was  a  combination 
of  the  aristocracy  against  the  people,  and  in  support  of  English 
arrogance,  and  it  was  determined  that  Macready  should  not  play,  and 
that  he  and  his  supporters  should  be  put  down  at  all  hazards.  The 
lessees  of  the  Theatre  were  informed  that  the  re-opening  of  the 
Theatre  with  Mr.  Macready,  would  be  the  signal  for  riot ;  the  magis- 
trates of  the  city  were  informed  of  it,  and  were  implored  to  avert 
the  calamity  by  refusing  to  allow  the  house  to  be  opened — for  as  the 
city  authorities  have  the  right  to  regulate  Theatres,  and  to  make 
them  pay  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  for  a  license,  it  was  presumed 
that  they  had  also  the  right  to  close  them.  So  thought  the  Mayor, 
and  so  he  wished  to  act ;  but  the  lessees  insisted  upon  their  legal 
rights,  and  demanded  the  protection  of  the  authorities,  and  the  fatal 
decision  was  made  which  made  New  York,  a  few  hours  afterward, 
one  wide  scene  of  horror. 


CHAPTER  FIFTH. 


THE    COMBAT   DEEPENS. 


The  announcement  that  Mr.  Macready  would  appear  at  the  Opera 
House  in  Macbeth  on  Thursday  evening  produced  a  varied  excitement 
throughout  the  community.  Those  who  thought  the  city  disgraced 
by  the  scenes  of  Monday  night  were  anxious  to  have  that  disgrace 
atoned  for  by  his  successful  re-appearance,  while  those  who  sympa- 
thized with  the  mob  that  drove  him  from  the  stage,  looked  upon  his 
re-appearance  as  a  new  insult,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
brought  about  was  as  irritating  to  them  as  the  act  itself. 

A  riot  was  anticipated  by  all  who  were  acquainted  with  the  cir- 
cumstances, except,  perhaps  the  object  of  popular  indignation.  Mr. 
Macready  was  assured  that  there  would  be  no  difficulty,  and  he 
seems  to  have  believed  it — but  those  who  so  assured  him  well  un- 
derstood that  those  who  had  triumphantly  driven  him  from  the  stage 
on  Monday  were  not  likely  to  submit  quietly  to  his  re-appearance. 

Thursday  morning,  the  leaders  on  both  sides  were  active.  The 
friends  of  Forrest  Avere  gathering  their  forces,  and  distributing  tick- 
ets for  the  night's  performance,  while  the  lessees  of  the  Opera 
House  applied  to  the  mayor  and  other  authorities  of  New  York  for 
protection.  Inflammatory  handbills  had  been  posted  upon  the 
walls  of  the  city,  calculated  to  increase  the  excitement.  In  the  may- 
or's office,  the  recorder,  the  chief  of  police,  the  sheriff,  major-gene- 
ral Sandford,  and  brigadier-general  Hall,  were  assembled  to  consult 


18 

on  the  means   of  protecting  the  Opera  House,  and  enabling  Mr. 
Macready  to  play  Macbeth. 

The  mayor,  Mr.  Woodhull,  advised  Niblo  and  Hackett  to  close  the 
house,  and  to  avoid  a  riot,  and  the  probable  destruction  of  property 
and  life  ;  but  these  gentlemen  were  determined  to  stand  upon  their 
rights,  and  the  city  authorities  decided,  after  consulting  together,  to 
sustain  them,,  if  necessary,  with  all  the  force  at  their  disposal.  Mr. 
Matsell,  the  chief  of  police,  was  asked  if  the  civil  force  at  his  dis- 
posal would  be  sufficient  for  the  preservation  of  the  peace,  and 
though  he  had  nine  hundred  salaried  policemen  at  his  disposal,  and 
the  power  of  calling  in  specials  at  discretion,  he  gave  it  as  his  opinion 
that  this  force  was  not  sufficient.  It  was  thought  necessary  to  call 
out  the  military. 

It  has  been  boldly  questioned  whether  all  these  extraordinary 
preparations  would  have  been  made  to  protect  the  legal  rights  of 
humble  citizens.  Rich  and  influential  men  had  invited  Mr.  Mac- 
ready  to  play  at  the  aristocratic  Opera  House.  Suppose  it  had 
been  some  third-rate  actor  at  the  Chatham  ;  suppose  the  request  for 
him  to  play  had  come  from  the  patrons  of  that  establishment.  The 
abstract  question  of  right  would  have  been  the  same ;  but.there  are 
many  who  would  doubt  whether  the  city  authorities  would  have 
taken  the  extraordinary  measure  of  calling  out  the  military — and 
this  was  probably  the  first  time  such  a  thing  was  ever  done  under 
any  but  the  most  despotic  governments. 

The  fact  of  the  chief  of  police  declaring  that  his  force  was  not 
sufficient  to  preserve  the  peace — the  fact  that  general  Sandford  was 
ordered  to  call  out  a  military  force  sufficient  for  the  emergency, 
proves  that  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  approaching  riot  was  well 
understood  by  the  authorities,  and  still  no  means  were  used  to  pre- 
vent it.  It  seems  to  have  been  their  policy  to  let  it  gather,  and  come 
to  a  head,  when,  one  would  suppose,  it  might  easily  have  been  scat- 
tered. Had  the  police  arrested  a  few  of  the  leaders,  and  kept  a 
close  watch  on  the  rioters — had  they  taken  possession  of  the  vicinity 
of  the  Opera  House  in  force,  and  prevented  the  gathering  of  a 
crowd  around  it,  it  seems  probable  that  the  peace  of  the  city,  and 
the  rights  of  Mr.  Macready  might  have  been  maintained  at  a  tri- 
fling sacrifice.  But  a  different  course  was  decided  upon,  and  the 
preparations  of  the  military  and  police  were  made  accordingly.  The 
chief  detached  two  hundred  policemen,  to  be  stationed  inside  the 
Opera  House.  He  also  placed  a  detachment  in  the  stable  of  Mr. 
Langdon,  on  the  opposite  side  of  Astor  Place,  and  another  body  in 
a  yard  near  by.  General  Sandford  ordered  out  companies  from  se- 
veral regiments,  as  will  be  more  particularly  stated  hereafter. 

And  now  the  news  spread  all  over  the  city  that  there  was  to  be  a 
riot.  The  warning  out  of  large  bodies  of  military,  was  alone  suffi- 
cient to  excite  curiosity  ;  and  yet,  in  all  this  excitement  and  antici- 
pation of  outrage,  the  mayor  issued  no  warning  proclamation.  There 
was  no  one  to  toil  hot-headed  and  misguided  men,  that  it  would  be 
at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  it'  they  disturbed  the  peace.  It  is  evident 
that  they  thought  they  had  a  right  to  prevent  Macready  from  playing. 


19 

They  were  doing  no  more  by  him  than  the  English  had  done  by 
Forrest,  and  they  looked  upon  it  as  a  piece  of  retributive  justice. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  New  York,  for  many  years,  has  been 
a  very  quiet  city.  For  ten  years,  there  had  not  been  one  serious 
riot.  The  principles  of  law  and  order  are  habitually  acknowledged, 
and  have  seldom  been  violated.  While  Philadelphia  has  been,  for 
years,  the  scene  of  the  most  disgraceful  outrages,  New  York  has  not 
known  a  more  serious  disturbance  than  could  be  controlled  by  a  few 
policemen.  But  in  this  case,  every  body  rushed  into  a  fatal  riot, 
witli  a  mad  precipitation.  The  calling  out  of  the  military  sent 
thousands  to  the  scene  of  conflict,  who  would  not  otherwise  have 
gone,  swelled  the  crowd,  encouraged  the  rioters,  and  contributed  to 
the  fatal  result. 

It  is  easy  to  say,  people  had  no  business  there  ;  they  ought  to 
have  kept  away.  It  would  be  hard  to  show  that  those  who  were 
outside  the  house  had  not  as  good  a  right  to  gratify  their  curiosity 
as  those  within.  But,  right  or  wrong,  we  know  very  well  what 
people  will  do  in  such  a  case.  Let  it  be  given  out  that  there  is  to 
be  a  disturbance  at  any  place,  and  that  the  military  have  been  called 
out  to  put  it  down,  and  the  consequence  will  be  a  gathering  crowd, 
and,  if  there  is  the  slightest  seeming  cause,  a  formidable  riot.  It 
seems  that  all  the  means  used  on  the  tenth  of  May,  to  preserve  the 
peace,  only  helped  to  bring  about  the  terrible  catastrophe. 

Mr.  Forrest  has  been  charged  with  actively  fomenting  these  dis- 
turbances. Such  a  charge  was  made  in  the  Courier  &  Enquirer, 
but  it  was  promptly  retracted,  under  threat  of  prosecution  for  libel, 
from  Mr.  Sedgwick,  Forrest's  legal  counsel.  It  does  not  appear  that 
he  moved  at  all  in  the  matter.  He  stood  passive,  and  let  the  affair 
shape  itself  as  it  might,  as  there  is  reason  to  suppose  Mr.  Macready 
had  done,  in  England.  On  the  night  of  the  riot,  Forrest  played  to  a 
full  house  at  the  Broadway  Theatre. 

It  would  seem,  after  the  publication  of  the  card,  signed  by  Wash- 
ington Irving,  Charles  King,  and  about  fifty  others,  denouncing  the 
outrages  of  Monday  night,  and  pledging  themselves  to  sustain 
Macready,  that  the  contest  took  on  a  new  character.  Macready  was 
a  subordinate  personage,  and  he  was  to  be  put  down  less  on  his  own 
account,  than  to  spite  his  aristocratic  supporters.  The  question 
became  not  only  a  national,  but  a  social  one.  It  was  the  rich  against 
the  poor — the  aristocracy  against  the  people ;  and  this  hatred  of 
wealth  and  privilege  is  increasing  over  the  world,  and  ready  to  burst 
out  whenever  there  is  the  slightest  occasion.  The  rich  and  well-bred 
are  too  apt  to  despise  the  poor  and  ignorant,  and  they  must  not  think 
it  strange  if  they  are  hated  in  return. 


20 

CHAPTER  SIXTH. 

THE    SCENES    OF    THE    FATAL    NIG-HT. 

As  the-  hour  for  the  opening  of  the  Opera  House  approached,  ex- 
cited crowds  began  to  gather  from  all  parts  of  the  city.  Hundreds 
of  men  were  seen  walking  rapidly  up  Broadway.  There  was  a  great 
rush  for  tickets,  and  at  an  early  hour  the  house  was  declared  full, 
and  the  sale  of  tickets  suspended.  Among  the  audience  in  the 
house  were  seven  ladies.  The  police  were  at  their  stations,  and  the 
doors  and  windows  were  strongly  barricaded. 

It  should  here  be  stated  that  the  Opera  House  is  situated  midway 
between  Broadway  and  the  Bowery,  one  side  fronting  on  Eighth 
Street,  the  other  on  Astor  Place.  The  end  toward  Broadway  is 
covered  by  buildings,  but  there  is  an  open  space  to  the  Bowerv. 

While  the  crowd  was  Catherine;  outside,  and  endeavoring  to  force 
an  entrance,  in  which  they  were  prevented  by  the  police,  the  curtain 
rose,  and  the  mock  tragedy  commenced.  Mr.  Clark,  an  American 
actor,  was  vociferously  applauded  in  the  part  of  Macduff.  The  en- 
trance of  Mr.  Macready  in  the  third  scene  was  the  signal  for  a  storm 
of  cheers,  groans,  hisses,  and  yells:  The  whole  audience  rose,  and 
the  greatest  part,  who  were  friendly  to  Macready,  cheered  and 
waved  their  hats  and  handkerchiefs ;  but  when  these  cheers  were 
spent,  the  noise  had  not  subsided.  A  large  body  in  the  parquette, 
and  another  in  the  amphitheatre  hissed  and  groaned,  and  the  con- 
test was  kept  up  until  a  placard  was  displayed  on  the  stage,  on 
which  was  written — "  The  friends  of  order  will  remain  quiet."  The 
friends  of  disorder,  however,  kept  up  their  noise  through  the  first 
act,  when  the  recorder  and  chief  of  police  decided  to  quell  the  tu- 
mult ;  and  in  a  few  moments  the  noisiest  of  the  rioters  were  arrested, 
and  conveyed  to  a  room  in  the  basement,  and  the  play  went  on  in 
comparative  quietness. 

But  by  the  time  the  tumult  was  suppressed  in  the  house,  it  had 
gained  its  height  on  the  outside.  A  vast  crowd  numbering  ten  or 
fifteen  thousand,  had  gathered  around  the  building,  chiefly  in  Astor 
Place,  and  by  the  time  the  arrests  were  made  in  the  house,  and  pro- 
bably in  consequence  of  some  communication  between  the  rioters  in 
the  theatre  and  their  friends  outside,  the  house  began  to  be  assailed 
with  largq  paving  stones,  of  which,  owing  to  the  digging  of  a  sewer 
near  by,  there  was  a  large  supply.  The  stones  crashed  against  the 
windows,  and  in  Borne  instances  broke  through  the  barricades.  After 
the  tragedy  was  over,  the  farce  commenced,  but  it  was  brought  to 
an  end  by  the  firing  of  the  military  :  and  the  alarmed  and  excited 
audience  left  the  theatre  by  the  entrance  in  Eighth  Street,  under  the 
cover ,pf  the  military,  while  Mr.  Macready   got  away    in  the  disguise 

of  an  officer;  and  mounting  a  horse,  escorted  i»y  a  party  of  his 

friends,  he  left  the  city,  and  the  aexl    day  took  the  cars  for  Boston, 
whence  a  fe  v  days  afterward  he    sailed  to  Europe.      Before  leaving 


21 

he  expressed  the  deepest  regret  that  he  had  not  refused  to  appear 
again,  in  accordance  with  his  first  intention. 

From  the  testimony  of  the  actors  and  spectators  of  the  terrible 
scenes  which  occurred  that  night,  we  have  selected  four  accounts — 
that  of  Sidney  H.  Stewart,  Esq.  Clerk  of  the  Police,  a  man  of 
observation  and  experience  in  that  department ;  that  of  Major 
Gexeral  Sandford,  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  military  ;  that 
of  Stephen  W.  Gaines,  Esq.  and  Thomas  J.  Belvin,  Esq.  disinter- 
ested spectators.  From  the  sworn  testimony  of  these  four  witnesses, 
may  be  gathered  a  pretty  correct  idea  of  the  action  of  the  public 
authorities,  the  police,  the  military,  the  rioters,  and  the  spectators. 

TESTIMONY  OF  SIDNEY  H.  STEWART. 

Sidxey  H.  Stewart,  Clerk  of  the  Police,  states  -what  he  saw  and  heard  before 
the  arrival  of  the  military :  "  I  left  the  Tombs  that  evening  in  company  with 
Justice  McGrath,  and  arrived  at  the  Astor  Theatre  about  7  o'clock ;  soon  after 
the  doors  were  opened,  the  audience  were  assembling ;  on  entering  the  house,  I 
found  the  theatre  rilled  with  people  and  a  large  body  of  the  police  ;  most  of  the 
police  magistrates  were  there  ;  Judge  Edmonds  was  there  also ;  the  under- 
standing with  the  magistrates,  Judge  Edmonds,  and  the  Chief  of  Police,  and 
Recorder,  was  that  no  arrests  should  be  made  in  the  house,  unless  some  overt 
act  was  committed,  tending  absolutely  to  a  breach  of  the  peace  ;  the  usual  indul- 
gence was  to  be  allowed  as  to  the  hissing  and  applauding ;  that  rule  was  observed. 
In  the  course  of  the  evening,  demonstrations  were  made  by  several  in  the  par- 
quette,  by  shaking  their  fists  at  Macready,  threatening  him  with  violence,  by 
twelve  or  fifteen  persons,  certainly  not  to  exceed  twenty ;  an  application  was 
made  at  this  time  to  the  Chief  of  Police  to  arrest  them,  and  remove  them  from 
the  house ;  he  delayed  the  order  for  some  time,  and  finally  sent  for  the  Recorder 
to  consult  with  him  on  the  propriety  of  making  arrests ;  after  a  consultation,  it 
was  concluded  to  make  the  arrests,  which  was  done;  in  less  than  five  minutes 
they  were  taken  into  custody,  and  order  comparatively  restored  ;  about  this  time 
a  great  deal  of  hissing  was  heard  in  the  amphitheatre,  and  loud  applauding ;  the 
plav  was  still  going  on ;  several  arrests  were  made  in  the  amphitheatre,  by  order 
of  the  Chief  of  Police  and  Recorder ;  about  this  time,  the  first  breach  of  peace 
on  the  house  was  a  large  paving  stone  which  came  through  the  window  into  the 
house ;  the  house  continued  to  be  assailed  from  those  without ;  an  alarm  was 
given  that  a  fire  was  below  under  the  dress  circle ;  it  was  soon  extinguished ; 
large  stones  were  thrown  at  the  doors  on  Eighth  street,  smashing  in  the  panels, 
and  doing  other  damage  ;  the  police  were  ordered  into  Eighth  street,  say  fifteen 
men ;  on  my  going  into  the  street,  I  saw  a  large  concourse  of  people,  but  those 
near  the  door  of  the  theatre  were  mostly  boys,  who  were  apparently  throwing 
stones  ;  several  of  them  were  arrested  by  the  police  and  brought  in;  I  cannot 
say  how  many  were  aiding  in  the  disturbance,  but  certainly  a  very  small  propor- 
tion to  the  crowd  collected ;  the  policemen  arrested  some  six  or  ten  of  them,  and 
the  attack  on  the  door  in  Eighth  street  ceased  ;  the  attack  then,  after  these  arrests, 
was  made  with  more  violence  on  the  front  of  the  theatre  in  Astor-place  ;  a  very 
large  crowd  was  collected,  yet  I  could  pass  in  and  out  with  ease,  comparatively ; 
this  crowd  did  not  appear  to  be  very  turbulent ;  a  very  large  number  appeared 
to  be  citizens  looking  on,  and  not  aiding  in  the  disturbance ;  the  majority  of  those 
throwing  stones  were  boys  from  the  ages  of  1 2  to  18  years ;  several  of  the 
policemen  at  this  time  complained  of  being  struck  with  stones  and  badly  hurt ; 
the  policemen  kept  making  arrests,  and  bringing  them  in ;  I  cannot  say  how 
many ;  the  crowd  appeared  to  be  increasing  and  more  dense  ;  the  mob  appeared 
to  be  determined  to  accomplish  some  particular  act ;  there  seemed  to  be  a  strong 
determination,  although  they  only  threw  stones  ;  the  force  of  policemen  on 
Astor-place  amounted  to  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  ;  the  mob  then  continued  to 
throw  stones  ;  the  militarv  then  came." 


22 

TESTIMONY  OF  MAJOR-GENERAL  SANDFORD. 

1  am  Major  General  commanding  the  military  forces  of  this  county.  On 
Thursday  last,  I  received  a  message  from  the  Mayor,  requesting  me  to  come  to 
his  office.  I  went  there,  and  found  the  magistrates  named  by  the  Mayor  assem- 
bled. The  Mayor  informed  me  of  the  object  of  my  being  sent  for.  The  Mayor 
has  stated  correctly  my  reply,  when  I  was  asked  in  relation  to  the  expediency 
of  issuing  an  order  to  call  out  the  Military.  After  it  was  decided  to  issue  the 
order,  it  was  understood  by  the  Magistrates  present,  that  the  effort  should  be 
lust  made  by  the  civil  authority  to  preserve  the  peace,  and  that  the  Military 
should  not  be  called  out  until  that  effort  failed.  I  left  the  Mayor's  office  after 
this  mid er standing,  and  then  received  this  order : 

Mayor's  Office,  City  Hall,  May  10,  1849. 
Having  reason  to  apprehend  a  serious  riot  this  evening,  which  will  require 
more  force  to  preserve  the  peace  than  is  possessed  by  the  police,  Major  General 
Sandford  is  requested  to  hold  a  sufficient  military  force  in  readiness  to  meet  the 
apprehended  emergency.  C.  S.  WOODHULL,  Mayor. 

After  receiving  this  order,  I  ordered  one  Regiment — the  7th — of  Infantry  to 
assemble  at  the  Artillery  drill  rooms,  and  one  troop  of  Light  Artillery  with  two 
6  pound  field  pieces,  to  muster  at  the  Arsenal.  I  directed  a  small  detachment  of 
Infantry  to  protect  the  pieces.  The  regiment,  when  assembled,  on  account  of  the 
shortness  of  the  notice,  consisted  of  but  little  over  two  hundred  men.  The 
regiment  is  known  to  the  citizens  by  the  title  of  the  National  Guard.  I  went 
myself,  in  the  evening,  to  the  Artillery  drill  rooms,  and  informed  the  Magistrate 
that  I  would  remain  there  to  await  orders.  I  understood  there  was  to  be  a  large 
Police  force  at  the  Theatre.  Many  of  the  Magistrates  thought  this  force  would 
be  sufficient  without  the  military.  The  regiment  was  under  the  command  of 
Col.  Duryea.  There  are  eight  Captains  in  the  regiment.  I  cannot  say  they 
were  all  present.  Capts.  Shumway,  Underlull,  Pond  and  Price,  were  present. 
We  remained  there  until  a  verbal  message  came  to  me  from  the  sheriff  the  purport 
of  which  was,  that  a  mob  had  attacked  the  house  and  driven  in  the  Police  force, 
and  were  assailing  the  building  ;  this  was  between  Sand  9  o'clock,  as  well  as  I 
can  remember.  On  receiving  this  notice,  I  immediately  ordered  the  Regiment 
to  get  ready  for  marching,  and  to  distribute  their  ammunition,  which  consisted  of 
one  thousand  rounds  of  ball  cartridges  ,  I  sent  at  the  same  time  an  order  to  the 
Arsenal  yard  for  the  horse  belonging  to  the  Regiment  to  come  up  immediately 
to  the  drill  rooms,  and  march  with  us  to  the  grounds.  The  horsemen  carried  only 
their  sabres  ;  the  troops  were  put  on  the  march,  and  moved  rapidly  up  Broadway 
to  Astor-place;  the  field  pieces  were  Left  at  the  Arsenal ;  no  order  was  given  to 
the  artillery.  I  Was  not  aware,  until  L  got  to  the  ground,  of  the  extent  of  the 
mob;  1  thought  the  force  1  had  with  me,  in  connection  with  the  Police  force, 
would  be  sufficient  to  preserve  the  peace.  Before  getting  on  the  ground,  I 
mounted  my  horse,  and  took  charge  of  the  cavalry,  directing  the  tnfantry  to 

follow  close  after  us.     The  horsemen,  on  entering  Astor-place.  were  formed  ten 

ahead,  and  advanced  in  that  order  until  wegol  nearly  opposite  the  corner  of  the 
Opera  Souse;  at  this  place,  we  were  assailed  with  a  shower  of  stones  and  bride 

bats,  by    which   almost   every  man    was    hurt,  and   the    hoises   rendered   almost 

unmanageable  ;  the  men  pushed  rapidly  through  Aster  place,  ami  through  the 
whole  distance  were  assailed  with  a  shower  oi  stones;  the  infantry    followed 

them.    The  mob  extended  from  Astor-place  to  the  Bowery;  the  mounted  men, 

being  COnspicUOUfl  mark-,  received    inOSl  of  the  stone-,  and    were   driven  off  the 
ground.      I    dismounted,    returned    through    the    mob,    and    took    charge  of   the 

Infantry.  'I:  •  ere  halted  in  Line  across  the  open  space  beyond  the  theatre, 
with  a  dense  mob  on  both  Bides  of  then,  who  were  assailing  them  with  all 
of  opprobrious  epithets,  and  trequenl  volleys  of  .-tone-.  1  ordered  CoL  Duryea 
to  form  a  column  of  division  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  the  ground  in  the  rear 
of  the  theatre,  intending  after* aid  (<•  go  to  the  front.  The  columns  were  formed 
promptly,  and  moved  forward  through  die  mob,  until  stopped  hv  an  excavation 
m  the  ground,  which  1  had  not  previously  seen,  on  aoooun  rknes  of  the 


2S 

night.  We  filed  around  tins  broken  ground,  and  cleared  tin*  rear  of  the  thcatte 
the  mob  retreating  before  us  as  we  advanced    Two  bodies  of  troops  were 

stationed  at  each  end  of  the  theatre,  extending  across  the  street  I  then  Kent  in 
for  the  Sheriff  and  One!'  of  Police.  Mr.  Matsell  furnished  sufficient  of  the 
police  to  take  the  place  of  the  two  lines  of  military,  and  the  whole  were  then 
put  under  march  ;  passed  through  Eighth-st  to  Broadway,  and  around  into  Astor- 
place,  the  Sheriff  at  my  request  accompanied  us.  We  moved  down  Astor-place 
until  we  got  a  little  past  the  centre!  of  the  theatre.  The  mob  partially  retreated 
to  the  middle  and  opposite  side  of  the  street ;  they  commenced  an  attack  on  the 
military  by  throwing  paving  stones.  The  paving  in  this  vicinity  had  been  taken 
up  for  the  purpose,  as  I  was  informed,  of  laying  down  water  pipes  and  building 
a  sewer.  I  ordered  the  regiment  to  be  divided  and  to  form  in  two  lines  across 
the  street ;  the  right  wing  advanced  toward  the  Bowery,  and  the  left  toward 
Broadway,  with  the  view  of  driving  the  mob  each  way  from  the  front  of  the 
theatre  ;  during  this  period,  the  men  were  constantly  assailed  with  showers  of 
stones  and  brickbats,  and  many  were  seriously  hurt ;  a  number  of  men  near  by 
and  Gen.  Hall  were  struck  with  stones,  and  dangerously  injured.  After  giving 
this  order,  I  advanced  toward  the  middle  of  the  street  to  Captain  Shumway,  who 
led  the  first  company,  with  Col.  Duryea  by  his  side,  being  outside  myself  next  the 
mob ;  the  Sheriff  was  behind  me ;  at  this  time,  we  were  assailed  by  a  volley  of 
stones,  by  which  about  eight  out  of  eleven  of  the  first  platoon  were  more  or  less 
injured.  Myself,  Col.  Dur*a,  and  Capt.  Shumway  were  injured.  At  this  time, 
a  pistol  was  fired  by  some  man  in  the  mob,  by  which  Capt.  Shumway  was 
wounded  in  the  leg,  and,  as  I  believe,  Gen.  Hall  in  the  face.  Previous  to  this,  the 
crowd  had  been  repeatedly  notified  by  Gen.  Hall  and  myself,  and  by  other  persons 
whose  voices  I  did  not  recognise,  that  they  must  disperse  or  they  would  be  fired 
upon.  I  was  at  this  time  partly  knocked  down,  and  When  I  arose,  I  found  three 
or  four  of  the  front  rank  partly  down,  and  the  head  of  the  column  forced  back 
towrard  the  Opera  House,  the  shower  of  stones  at  this  time  being  incessant ;  orders 
were  then  given  by  myself  and  repeated  by  Col.  Duryea,  to  charge  bayonet ;  the 
attempt  was  made,  but  the  crowd  was  so  close  upon  the  troops  that  there  was 
no  room  for  the  troops  to  charge,  and  some  of  the  men  had  their  muskets  seized 
by  the  crowTd  ;  the  troops  by  this  time  were  forced  back  to  the  sidewalk;  I  stated 
to  the  Sheriff  that  it  was  impossible  to  maintain  our  position  without  firing.  I 
several  times  called  out  to  the  crowd  that  they  must  fall  back  or  we  would  fire  ; 
after  this  the  Sheriff  gave  the  order  to  fire.  Gen.  Hall,  who  was  a  short  distance 
from  me,  made  an  exclamation  to  fire  over  their  heads ;  the  order  to  fire  was 
repeated  by  myself  and  Col.  Duryea,  and  the  men  fired  once  over  the  heads  of 
the  crowd,  against  Mrs.  Langdon's  house.  A  shout  then  came  from  the  mob, 
"  They  have  only  blank  eartridges,  give  it  to  them  again,"  and  another  volley  of 
stones  came  instantly  ;  the,  troops  were  then  ordered  to  fire  again;  I  think  the 
order  was  given  by  myself  and  Gen.  Hall ;  Gen.  Hall  said,  "  fire  low ;"  then,  for 
the  first  time,  the  mob  began  to  give  way ;  the  troops  then  moved  forward,  crossing 
the  street,  and  chiving  the  crowd  before  them  until  the  troops  got  near  the  corner 
of  Lafayette-place.  The  mob  here  rallied  at  the  corner  of  Lafayette-place,  on 
one  side,  and  at  the  corner  of  the  theatre  and  the  broken  ground,  on  the  other 
side,  and  advanced,  throwing  volleys  of  stones  ;  several  of  the  troops  were  hurt 
severely,  and  orders  were  given  for  the  troops  to  fire — one  half  obliquely  to  the 
right,  the  other  half  to  the  left  upon  these  two  bodies  of  men  ;  this  was  done,  and 
the  crowd  fell  back  into  Lafayette-place,  and  the  broken  ground  behind  the 
theatre.  There  was  no  firing  after  tliis  ;  the  mob  kept  a  constant  attack  upoii 
the  troops  for  some  time  with  stones  and  brickbat  s.  The  whole  number  of  military 
engaged  in  the  conflict  was  210,  one-half  of  the  line  toward  Broadway,  and  the 
other  toward  Bowery  ;  the  mob  has  been  variously  estimated  from  ten  to  twenty 
thousand.  Previously  to  leaving  Eighth-st.  to  go  around  to  the  front  of  the 
theatre  with  the  troops,  I  sent  up  the  Light  Artillery  and  the  portions  of  the 
Sixth  Regiment  that  was  to  support  it  They  arrived  after  the  firing  had  ceased 
One  gun  was  placed  toward  the  Bowery,  and  the  other  toward  Broadway.  The 
Infantry  wTere  stationed,  and  the  mob  were  again  told  that  unless  they  left,  they 
would  be  fired  upon,  and  the  Artillery  used,  if  necessary.  The  mob  dispersed, 
and  the  firing  ceased.     Upwards  of  50  men  of  this  small  detachment  of  2 10  men, 


24 

were  injured,  chiefly  before  the  firing  commenced.  I  do  not  believe  tnat  the 
troops  could  have  withdrawn  in  safety  when  the  order  was  given  to  fire,  and  that 
they  could  not  liave  maintained  their  position  without  firing.  During  a  period  of 
thirty-five  years  of  military  service,  1  have  never  seen  a  mob  so  violent  as  the 
one  on  that  evening.     I  never  before  had  occasion  to  give  the  order  to  fire. 

TESTIMONY  OF  STEPHEN  W.  GAINES. 

Stephens  "W.  Gaines,  sworn,  says : — I  am  a  counsellor  at  law,  residing  at  No. 
180  East  Broadway ;  on  Thursday  evening  last,  I  was  at  the  corner  of  Astor- 
place  and  Lafayette-place ;  I  stood  upon  a  pile  of  boards ;  I  stood  there  from 
half-past  eight  o'clock  until  after  the  last  discharge  of  musketry  ;  from  the  place 
where  I  stood,  I  had  a  fair  view  of  the  Opera  House  ;  when   I  first  got  there, 
the  space  between  us  and  the  theatre  was  filled  with  people,  but  not  densely 
crowded  at  that  time ;  I  saw  persons  throwing  stones  at  the  principal  entrance, 
and  at  the  windows  of  the  Opera  House  ;  they  were  nearly  in  front  of  the  Opera 
House  ;  sometimes  a  single  stone,  and  at  other  times  a  volley ;  about  fifty  feet 
in  front  of  the  house  was  the  principal  scene  of  action ;  the  street  toward  the 
Bowery  was  filled  with  people;  there  were  no  stones  tin-own  from  the  quarter 
where  I  stood,  and  there  were  so  few  actually  stoning  the  house,  that  it  was  a 
surprise  to  those  witnessing  it  why  the  police  did  not  stop  it ;  the  first  I  saw  of 
the  military  was  the  horse,  and  then  followed  the  infantry  ;  they  came  from 
Broadway,  passed  the  Opera  House  in  Astor-place,  and  took  their  stand  near  the 
4th  avenue  ;  I  saw  no  opposition ;  in  about  half  an  hour  I  saw  the  horse  troops 
pass  up  Astor-place,  towards  Broadway ;  I  should  have  left  upon  the  arrival  of 
the  military,. but  so  many  coming  upon  the  sidewalk,  I  could  not  get  out;  within 
a  short  time  after,  the  infantry  passed  up  in  front  of  the  house ;  I  saw  the  fire 
from  the  discharge  of  the  muskets  as  it  left  the  barrels,  as  the  lamps  were  out ; 
some  of  them  were  fired  perpendicular,  some  on  an  inclined  plane  towards  the 
house  of  Mrs.  Langdon,  and  others  horizontally;  this  was  the  first  discharge  ;  we 
had  no  intimation  of  firing  where  I  stood,  until  I  saw  the  flash ;  several  other 
volleys  were  discharged  immediately  ;  previous  to  firing  the  last  volley,  the 
street  was  nearly  cleared  ;  most  of  the  people  had  left  the  enclosure  where  I 
was  ;  there  were,  perhaps,  half  a  dozen  on  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  where  I  was  ; 
I  was  still  standing  on  the  board,  when  the  last  discharge  took  place  up  Astor- 
place  towards  the  Bowery  ;  between  me  and  the  soldiers  the  space  was  clear  ; 
there  was  a  small  number  of  persons  on  the  corner  opposite  Mrs.  Langdon's 
house ;  they  were  out  of  the  range  of  the  fire ;  tins  fire  was  nearly  in  the  range 
of  where  1  was  standing  ;  I  stepped  back  a  pace  or  two,  to  bring  myself  out  of 
the  direct  line  ;  immediately  another  discharge  took  place,  that  being  part  of 
the  previous  discharge;  upon  the  discharge,  a  man  fell   upon   the  sidewalk  in 
front  of  us  ;  there  were  but  a  few  persons  near  him  at  the  ume  ;  after  he  fell,  he 
remained  on  the  ground  half  a  minute,  some  supposed  he  was  nhawnyifag  being 
shot ;  on  picking  him  up,  a  wound  was   discovered   in   his  back,  by  the  blood 
running  ;  we  took  the  wounded  man  down  to  the  drug  store  corner   Fourth  and 
Wooster  street  ;  on  examining  the  body,  we  found  a  wound  in  the  lower  part  of 

fail  stomach;  his  name  was  Henry  otten,  residing  at  the  corner  of  Hester  and 

Orchard  streets  ;  lie  was  standing  on  the  sidewalk  at  the  time  he  was  shot,  takiug 
no  part  in  the  disturbance  ;  alter  leaving  him,  I  learned  tluit  others  had  been 
shot ;  1  have  been  informed  that  he  has  since  died. 

TESTIMONY  OF  THOMAS  J.  BELY1.W 

Thomas  J.  Bi  Lvnr,  residing  at  No.  LS8  King  street,  boatman  : — On  Thursday 
evening  last,  1  was  at  the  disturbance  at  the  Aster  place  Opera  House;  1  stood 
on  the  corner  of  Laiayette-place,  by  Mrs.  Langdon's  house;  when  L  got  there, 
about  half-past  dx  o'clock,  I  an»  I  ioi  of  half-grown  boys  throwing  stones  at  the 
\  "i  Opera  House;  1  passed  on  the  opposite  corner,  and  was  talking  to  two 
Philadelphians ;  they  were  saying  how  trifling  this  was  to  some  of  their  riots; 
L  stayed  there  until  the  hone  soldiers  came,  and  then  the  infantry  ;  then  there 


25 

was  a  rush  with  the  boys,  and  we  started  buck,  and  then  returned  again  to  see 
how  the  military  operated;  I  was  standing  on  tin-  corner  of  Mrs.  Langdbn's 
house  when  the  first  firing  took  place;  when  the  military  left,  the  boys  went 
back  and  commenced  throwing  stones  again;  I  stood  there  when  the  first  discharge 

took  place ;  a  man  fell ;  I  laughed,  and  so  did  others,  as  we  thought  that  it. was 
only  blank  cartridges  to  scare  them;  I  heard  a  man  say,  "mj  God,  look  at  this; 

he's  shot ;"  this  was  at  the  first  discharge  of  musketry;  \  heard  no  notice  given 
to  disperse;  they  might  have  done  so;  alter  this  I  started  and  ran  down  to  the 
church  on  the  corner  of  4th  street,  and  there  I  stood  ;  I  don't  know  how  long  I 
stood  there,  I  was  so  frightened ;  I  stood  there  until  I  heard  another  banging  of 
muskets,  and  then  I  started  and  ran  home  as  quick  as  I  could  ;  I  should  not  have 
gone  there,  if  I  had  known  they  were  going  to  use  lead  ;  I  went  to  see  what 
was  going  on,  like  many  others;  I  don't  know  how  long  I  stood  at  the  church 
before  I  heard  the  second  firing;  I  was  glad  to  get  there  ;  I  jumped  over  several 
people  in  making  my  way  to  the  church. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  above  accounts  vary  according  to  the 
position  of  the  witnesses.  Mr.  Stewart  confines  his  attention  chiefly 
to  the  operations  of  the  police ;  Gen.  Sandford  to  those  of  the  mili- 
tary;  while  others  may  be  supposed  to  represent  the  views  and 
feelings  of  the  mere  spectators. 

On  the  examination  of  Mr.  Stewart,  he  was  asked,  if,  in  his  opinion, 
the  riot  could  have  been  prevented  or  suppressed  by  the  action  of 
the  police,  without  calling  on  the  military.  Though  loth  to  give  an 
opinion,  which  might  be  construed  into  a  censure  of  the  authorities, 
he  stated  his  belief  that  the  whole  affair  might  have  been  differently 
managed. 

The  scene  which  followed  the  firing  of  the  military,  beggars  all 
description.  The  wounded,  the  dying,  and  the  dead,  were  scattered 
in  every  direction.  There  were  groans  of  agony,  cries  for  help,  and 
oaths  of  vengeance.  The  dead  and  the  wounded  were  borne  to  the 
drug  stores  at  the  corners  of  Eighth  street  and  Broadway,  and  Third 
Avenue,  and  others  in  the  vicinity,  and  surgeons  were  summoned  to 
attend  them.  Some  were  conveyed  by  the  police  to  the  Fifteenth 
Ward  Station  House,  and  a  few  carried  to  the  City  Hospital.  Some 
of  the  dead  and  wounded  were  laid  out  upon  the  billiard  tables  of 
Vauxhall  Saloon,  a  large  crowd  gathered  around,  and  speeches  were 
made  by  excited  orators. 

Had  none  but  those  actively  engaged  in  the  riot  been  shot  by  the 
military,  these  details  would  have  been  sufficiently  melancholy.  But 
even  then,  we  are  to  consider  that  the  men  who  composed  the  mob, 
may  have  acted,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  like  honest  and 
respectable  citizens.  A  mob  is  composed  of  the  same  men  in  a  state 
of  temporary  insanity,  and  they  should  be  treated  accordingly.  Sober 
and  quiet  citizens,  acting  under  such  a  temporary  excitement,  have 
committed  the  greatest  outrages.  They  should  be  restrained,  but 
not  sacrificed,  unless  under  the  most  imperative  necessity. 

But  in  this  case,  very  few  of  the  active  rioters  were  injured — the 
greater  part  of  the  killed  and  wounded  being  either  spectators,  or 
persons  passing  by  the  scene.  Thus,  Bridget  Fagan  was  walking 
with  her  husband  along;  the  Bowery,  shot  through  the  leo*.  and  died 
at  the  Hospitals    Mr.  Stuart,  an  old  retired  merchant,  was  severely 


26 

wounded  in  the  neck,  while  standing  in  the  Bowery  ;  and  Mr.  Collins 
was  shot  dead  while  getting  out  of  a  car  of  the  Harlem  Rail  Road-. 
Wm.  C.  Russell,  a  lawyer,  had  his  arm  shattered  while  passing 
around  the  corner  of  the  Bowery.  Mr.  Livingston,  standing  in  S*. 
Mark's  place,  two  blocks  off,  was  severely  wounded.  There  were 
many  more  such  cases. 

Of  those  who  were  shot  down  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
Opera  House,  the  greater  portion  were  taking  no  part  in  the  affair. 
Mr.  George  W.  Gedney,  a  broker  in  Wall  street,  who  had  a  wife,  to 
whom  he  had  been  married  but  little  more  than  a  year,  and  one  child, 
was  shot  instantly  dead,  as  he  was  standing  inside  the  railing  by  the 
Langdon  mansion.  At  the  first  volley,  a  ball  pierced  his  brain.  His 
wife  knew  he  had  gone  to  see  the  riot,  and  she  had  had  a  presen- 
timent of  some  disaster.  She  sat  watching  and  waiting  for  her 
husband,  for  it  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  out  at  night,  without 
her,  since  their  marriage.  She  waited  until  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  in  an  agony  of  terror,  when,  unable  to  endure  the  suspense 
any  longer,  she  rushed  into  the  street,  went  to  the  house  of  one  of 
her  husband's  friends,  roused  him  from  his  slumber,  and  begged  him 
to  go  and  seek  for  her  husband.  The  man  went,  and  found  poor 
Gedney  a  cold  corpse.  Mrs.  Gedney  was  sitting  at  the  window 
when  he  returned,  and  motioned  for  him  to  come  to  her,  but  he  shook 
his  head  mournfully,  and  passed  by  in  silence.  She  knew  that  her 
beloved  husband  was  no  more.  Her  neighbor,  who  had  not  the 
courage  to  tell  her  the  awful  tidings,  sent  his  wife  to  comfort  her. 
This  is  but  one  of  many  such  cases  of  domestic  affliction,  produced 
by  the  events  of  that  night  of  terror. 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 

THE    DAY    AFTER    THE     RIOT POPULAR    EXCITEMENT CORONER'S     IN- 
QUEST  LIST  OF  THE  KILLED  AND  WOUNDED. 

The  morning  of  the  eleventh  of  May  was  one  of  sad  excitement 
in  the  city  of  New  York.  The  extent  of  the  calamity,  the  number 
of  the  dead  and  wounded,  made  a  deep  and  solemn  impression. 
Public  opinion  was  \<t\  much  divided.  The  more  excitable  breathed 
threats  of  vengeance,  and  the  military  were  kept  under  arms  during 
that  and  the  succeeding  day.  A  meeting  was  called  in  the  Park,  of 
"Citizens  opposed  t<<  the  destruction  of  Human  Life."  Several 
thousands  assembled,  and  resolutions  were  passed,  thoroughly  con- 
demning  the  authorities  For  not  exhausting  the  civil  power  before 
calling  out  the  military,  and  characterizing  the  sacrifice  of  life  as 
"  the  mosl  wanton,  unprovoked  and  murderous  outrage  ever  perpe- 
trated in  the  civilized  world  ;*'  and  calling  upon  the  Grand  Jury  to 
mdicl  the  Mayor,  Recorder  and  SiherifF,  for  ordering  the  military  to 
fire  on  the  i  itizens,     Exciting  and  inflammatory  speeches  were  made 


27 

by  Edward  Strahan,  Isaiah  Ryndcrs,  and  Mike  Walsh,  but  the  meet- 
ing separated  without  disturbance. 

That  night,  all  eyes  were  turned  toward  the  Opera  House,  for 
though  it  had  been  closed  by  the  lessees,  and  though  Mac, ready  was 
in  Boston,  it  had  been  given  out  that  it  should  be  destroyed.  The 
most  efficient  measures  had  been  taken  by  the  authorities,  and  a 
proclamation  issued  by  the  Mayor.  Gen.  Sandford  called  out  four 
troops  of  horse  artillery,  one  squadron  of  cavalry,  four  regiments  of 
infantry,  including  the  fifth  brigade,  and  a  detachment  of  the  veteran 
artillery,  with  a  24  pound  howitzer.  The  artillery  was  planted  so  a*s 
to  sweep  the  streets  around  the  building,  and  the  infantry  and  cavalry 
stationed  at  a  convenient  distance.  The  artillery  was  furnished  with 
grape,  and  the  infantry  with  ball  cartridge. 

At  dark,  ^n  immense  crowd  filled  the  streets  around  the  Opera 
House,  but  the  military  took  possession  of  the  ground,  dispersed  the 
mob,  and  barricaded  the  approach^  to  the  scene.  The  mob,  most 
violent  at  first  in  Broadway,  having  been  driven  from  that  position, 
made  an  attack  upon  the  troops  in  the  Bowery,  and  severely  injured 
several  of  the  soldiers  ;  but  the  police,  aided  by  the  military,  arrested 
or  dispersed  the  offenders.  At  about  9  o'clock,  the  mob  erected  a 
barricade  across  9th  street,  near  the  Bowery,  to  defend  themselves 
from  the  cavalry,  but  it  was  stormed  by  the  police.  At  one  time, 
the  attack  upon  the  City  Guard  was  so  severe,  that  they  were  ordered 
to  load,  and  the  Recorder  proclaimed  that  another  shower  of  stones 
would  bring  one  of  lead  in  return  ;  but  fortunately  the  volleys  ceased. 
Bonfires  were  kindled,  but  these  only  made  the  leaders  of  the  riot 
conspicuous,  and  aided  the  police  to  arrest  them.  About  thirty 
arrests  were  made,  the  mob  driven  off  in  all  directions,  and  at  mid- 
night order  was  restored.  Half  this  efficiency  the  previous  night, 
would  have  saved  all  bloodshed.  Order  was  restored,  and  though  it 
was  reported  that  a  large  number  of  persons  had  come  from  Phila- 
delphia, expressly  to  take  part  in  a  riot,  the  peace  of  the  city  was 
not  again  disturbed. 

On  Saturday  morning,  the  Coroner  assembled  a  jury,  who  pro- 
ceeded in  carriages,  to  view  the  bodies  of  those  who  were  killed. 
After  viewing  them,  and  witnessing  a  surgical  examination  of  each, 
the  inquest  was  continued  at  the  Hall  of  the  Court  of  Sessions.  The 
Mayor,  Recorder,  Sheriff,  Chief  of  Police,  and  several  military  officers 
and  citizens  were  examined.  We  have  given  some  of  the  most 
important  of  the  testimony. 

The  Jury  retired  at  half-past  six  o'clock,  on  Sunday  evening,  and 
after  being  out  a  short  time,  returned  the  following  verdict : 

"We  believe  that  Geo.  A.  Curtis,  John  McDonald,  TTios.  Aylwood,  George  Lin* 
coin,  Timothy  Burns,  Henry  Otten,  George  W.  Brown,  Wni.  Butler,  George  W. 
Taylor,  Owen  Burns,  Thos.  Belman,  Neil  Gray  Mellis,  Asa  F.  Collins,  Wm.  Har- 
raer,  Thos.  Keirnan,  Mathew  Cahill,  Geo.  N.  Gedney,  came  to  their  deaths  by 
gun  shot  wounds,  from  balls  fired  by  the  Military  during  the  riot  before  the 
Opera  House,  on  Thursday  evening,  10th  May  inst.,  by  order  of  the  civil  author- 
ities of  the  city  of  New  York  ;  and  that  the  circumstances  existing  at  the  time 
iustified  the  authorities  in  giving  the  order  to  fire  upon  the  mob.     "We  further 


28 

Relieve  that  if  a  larger  number  of  the  Police  had  been  ordered  out,  the  necessity 
of  a  resort  to  the  use  of  Military  might  have  been  avoided. 

New  Yoek,  May  14,  1849.  JAMES  H.  PERKINS,  Foreman. 

O.  H.  WILSON,  WM.  BANTA-, 

LEONARD  H.  HEGAR,  J.  C.  BALDWLN, 

JAMES  CROPSY,  LEANDER  M.  SAMMIS, 

SAMUEL  RAYNOR,  EDWARD  C.  ROBINSON, 

JOSEPH  B.  BREWSTER,  WM.  S.  SMITH, 

GEO.  W.  DAWSON,  THOS.  S.  MILLER, 
WILLIAM  BALLAGH. 

Five  other  persons,  in  a  few  days  afterwards,  died  of  their  wounds. 
The  following  is  believed  to  be  a  complete  list  of  all  the  killed  and 
wounded : 


LIST  OF  THE  KILLED. 

GEORGE  A.  CURTIS, 
Aged  22  years,  born  in  Chautauque  Co.,  printer ;  shot  through  the  lungs. 

JOHN  Mc'DONALD, 
Aged  fifteen  years,  born  in  L-eland,  shot  through  the  breast. 

GEORGE  LINCOLN, 
Aged  35  years,  appeared  to  be  a  sailor  ;  shot  in  the  abdomen. 

THOMAS  AYLWOOD, 
Aged  19,  bom  in  Halifax,  a  clerk  ;  shot  in  the  thigh  :  died  after  amputation  of 
the  limb. 

TIMOTHY  BURNS, 

16  years,  a  printer  ;  shot  through  the  right  lung. 

HENRY  OTTEN, 
22  years  ;  grocer;  shot  through  the  breast.     He  died  in  the  15  fh  Ward  station- 
house,  in  presence  of  his  aged  mother. 

GEORGE  W.  BROWN, 
From  Boston  ;  clerk  ;  bull  passed  through  left  lung. 

WILLIAM  BUTLER, 
24  years  ;  ship  joiner ;  shot  through  the  head. 

GEORGE  W.  TAYLOR, 
21  years;  house  carpenter ;  shot  through  the  head. 

OWEN  BURNS, 
24  years  -r  born  in  Ireland  ;  a  cartman  ;  shot  through  the  head. 
THOMAS  BELMAN, 

17  years  ;  born  in  Ireland ;  laborer ;  shot  through  the  neck. 

NEIL  GRAY  MKLLIS, 
27  years  ;  the  musket-ball  passed  directly  through  the  heart ;  left  a  wife  and  one 
child.     The  deceased  was  a  nephew  to  ex-Alderman  Neil  Gray  of  the  10th 
Ward. 

A -A   P.  COLLINS, 
45  years ;  born  in  this  State;  business  a  house  agent    The  deceased  received  a 
ball  in  the  neck,  as  he  was  descending  from  the  railroad  car. 
WILLIAM   BARMER, 
16 years;  a  butcher;  was  brought  to  the  Bellevue  Hospital  early  on  Friday 
morning,  having  received  a  ball  in  the  abdomen;  he  lingered  until  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  "when  death  relieved  his  earthly  Buffering.    He  was 
a  native  of  Si  Johr/s,  Now  Brunswick 


THOMAS  KEIRNAN, 
21  years  ;  born  in  Ireland ;  a  waiter  ;  sh<j£  in  the  right  cheek,  the  ball  passing 
into  the  brain. 

MATHEW  CAHILL, 
26  years  ;  born  in  Ireland ;  laborer  ;  widower  ;  shot  through  the  right  breast ; 
one  cliild. 

TIMOTHY  McGUINN, 
19  years;  laborer.     The  deceased  was  residing  with  his  mother,  in  the  rear  of 
No.  107  West  Tliirteenth-street,  and  died  soon  after  being  brought  home. 
'  GEORGE  W.  GEDNKV, 
34  years  ;  born  in  New- York  ;  a  broker  ;  resided  at  No.  82  Seventh-street  Tlie 
deceased  received  a  musket-ball  directly  through  the  brain. 
JOHN  DALZELL, 
Was  wounded  in  the  hip,  and  died  after  amputation  of  the  lup  joint. 

ROBERT  MACLEURGEON, 
Aged  20,  a  native  of  New  York,  received  a  wound  while  passing  through  Lafay- 
ette Place ;  and  died  at  his  mother's  residence  on  Monday. 
JOHN  McKINSLEY, 
Shot  through  the  lungs,  died  on  Sunday  night. 

HENRY  BURGUIST, 
Known  as  "  Harry  Bluff,"  lived  at  410   Pearl-street.     Ball  grazed  the  neck, 
>vent  into  the  right  shoulder,  coming  out  behind  the  right  arm.     Died  of 
ns  wounds  at  the  hospital. 

BRIDGET  FAGAN, 
Irish ;  30  years  old  ;  shot  in  the  leg,  just  below  the  knee.     She  was  two  blocks 
off,  walking  with  her  husband  on  their  way  home,  and  fell  into  his  arms. 
Died  after  amputation. 

Thus  TWENTY-THREE  PERSONS  were  either  killed  on  the 
spot,  or  died  of  their  wounds  shortly  after. 


LIST  0E  THE  WOUNDED. 

The  following  list  is  probably  incomplete,  as  many  who  were  not 
seriously  wounded  have  not  been  publicly  reported  : 

Edward  McCormtck,  135  First  Avenue  ;  19  years  old  ;  worked  at  200  Mulber- 
ry-street.    Shot  through  the  side. 

Conrad  Becker,  27  Hudson-street ;  worked  for  Mahoney  and  Thompson,  Up- 
holsterers, Chatham-street.     Ball  went  through  the  right  thigh. 

George  N.  Kay,  28  years  of  age  ;  merchant ;  boarded  at  107  Chambers-street 
Ball  in  the  right  breast,  going  entirely  through. 

Frederick  Gillespie,  a  boy  ;  shot  through  the  foot. 

A  Son  of  J.  Irwin,  243  Tenth-street ;  ball  through  his  leg. 

B.  M.  Seixas,  jr., 

Matthew  Carhart,  residence  First  Av.,  corner  of  Twelfth-st. ;  shot  through  the 
breast  and  neck. 

Mr.  Stewart,  of  the  late  firm  of  Coley,  Stewart,  and  Co.,  Mobile,  retired  mer- 
chant ;  while  standing  in  the  Bowery  was  6hot  in  the  neck. 

Mr.  Philip  Livingston,  a  young  man,  who  was  standing  in  St.  Mark's  Place, 
was  badly  wounded,  he  shot  entering  the  fore  arm,  and  coming  out  near  the 
thumb. 


30 

Lieut.  J.  Bnow>-  ;  son  of  Prof.  Brown  ;  residence  42  Crosby -street ;  was  shot  as 
he  came  out  of  the  Amphitheatre  door. 

Deacon  A.  M.  Collins  ;  of  the  Allen-street  Church ;  was  also  shot. 

"William  Selleck  ;  23  years  of  age;  residence  227  Seventh-street;  dangerously 
■svounded  by  a  shot ;  a  spectator. 

A  young  Philadelphia  ;  name  not  ascertained  ;  badly  shot  through  the  thigh. 

Mr.  Braisted  ;  of  the  firm  of  Secor  &  Co. ;  spectator  ;  shot  through  the  knees. 

\Vm.  C.  1!u.-sj:i.l,  Esq.;  a  lawyer  of  Wall-street;  left  his  residence  in  Fourth- 
avenue,  about  half-past  10,  and  while  passing  the  corner  of  Lafayette-place, 
had  his  left  arm  shattered  by  a  ball. 

Mr.  Marshall  Lefferts  ;  of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Geo.  B.  Moorewood  <fe  Co.  14 
and  16  Beaver-street ;  while  on  duty  as  an  officer,  was  knocked  from  his 
horse  by  a  stone,  and  seriously  wounded. 

One  of  the  National  Guards  had  liis  jaw-bone  broken  by  a  paving-stone. 

Lorexzo  D.  Snell,  of  Philadelphia;  49  Bayard-street;  was  shot  through  the 
thigh. 

Mrs.  Brexxav,  house-keeper  for  Mr.  Kernachan,  corner  of  Second-avenue  and 
Ninth-street;  while  passing  up  the  Bowery,  on  her  way  home, leaning  upon 
the  arm  of  a  man.  was  struck  by  a  ball  in  her  left  thigh,  which  passed  tlirough 
the  fleshy  part  of  this  and  the  right  thigh,  without  injuring  the  large  vessels 
or  the  bones. 

STErUEN  Kehoe. 

Mr.  Vaxderpool  ;  was  wounded  with  a  ball  at  the  corner  of  the  eye. 

A  boy,  by  the  name  of  Stone. 

An  instance  of  heroism  is  related  of  one  of  the  wounded,  who, 
when  the  surgeon  was  about  to  examine  his  case,  said,  "  Nevermind 
me  now,  but  look  round  and  see  if  there  is  not  some  one  who  needs 
you  more  than  I  do  I"  The  speech  was  worthy  of  Sir  Philip  Sid- 
ney.    The  lives  of  such  men  ought  not  to  be  lightly  sacrificed. 

Of  the  military  and  police,  a  large  number  were  wounded,  some 
of  them  severely,  by  paving  stones.  Capt.  Shumway  received  a 
flesh  wound  with  a  pistol  shot. 

The  military  performed  their  duty,  generally,  with  commendable 
coolness.  Some,  it  is  said,  laid  down  their  arms,  rather  than  fire, 
and  others  fired  into  the  air  ;  but  on  the  whole,  they  did  quite  suffi- 
cient execution,  especially  on  those  who  were  not  actively  engaged 
in  the  riot. 


CHAPTER  NINTH. 

WHERE    LIES    THE    BLAME  ? 

The  dead  are  Bleeping  in  their  quiet  graves.  Day  by  day,  time 
brings  its  consolations  to  the  afflicted  ;  but  has  society  no  lesson  to 
learn  from  the  horrors  of  which  sre  have  given  ai  full  a  description 
as  could  be  given,  by  Looking  at  the  mere  surface  of  things?  We 
shown  ili»'  causes  which  produced  this  dreadful  sacrifice  of 
human  life — this  massacre  of  innocent  and  unofiendinar  citizens,  for 


31 

many  of  the  killed  were  truly  such.  Let  us  endeavor  to  turn  the 
terrible  lesson  to  some  useful  account. 

Those  who  were  actively  engaged  in  the  scenes  we  have  described, 
experience  different  feelings  in  regard  to  it.  The  mob  was  made  up 
mainly  of  well-meaning,  but  ignorant,  rash,  and  misguided  men. 
The  best  feelings  of  our  nature,  when  they  are  perverted,  may  pro- 
duce the  worst  consequences.  In  this  case,  a  feeling  of  patriotism, 
and  a  sense  of  justice,  were  the  ruling  motives  of  those  who  violated 
the  laws,  broke  the  peace  of  the  community,  defied  the  constituted 
authorities,  and  caused  the  death  of  twenty- three  human  beings. 
They  acted  in  all  good  conscience,  but  an  unenlightened  or  misguided 
conscience  is  no  security  against  wrong.  Some  of  the  worst  deeds 
that  were  ever  committed,  were  done  "  in  all  good  conscience."  Thus 
Christ  was  crucified  by  a  Jewish  mob,  and  said,  "  Father,  forgive 
them,  they  know  not  what  they  do."  Thus,  in  all  ages,  the  worst 
acts  have  been  committed  from  the  best  of  motives. 

The  authorities  are  probably  satisfied  with  having  maintained  law 
and  order,  though  at  a  terrible  sacrifice,  and  the  press  has  almost 
unanimously  sustained  them.  But  it  should  be  remembered  that 
almost  all  men  are  liable  to  temporary  excitements.  Mobs  are  affected 
with  a  kind  of  insanity.  The  madness  of  a  crowd  seems  to  be  infec- 
tious. These  rioters  may,  in  their  calm  moments,  be  good  and  quiet 
citizens.  We  have  seen  some  of  the  most  sober  and  moral  commu- 
nities excited  into  a  fury  of  passion.  At  any  rate,  they  are  brethren, 
and  should  be  dealt  with  in  love  and  kindness. 

But  law  and  order  must  be  maintained  ;  very  true — it  must  be 
done  at  all  hazards,  but  it  should  be  done  prudently,  and  with  the 
least  possible  sacrifice.  Humanity  has  its  claims  as  wrell  as  law  ;  and 
it  may  not  be  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  public  order,  that 
ignorant  and  misguided  men,  laboring  under  a  temporary  madness 
should  be  shot  down  like  dogs,  if  they  can  be  controlled  by  means 
more  gentle.  t 

The  military  acted  naturally,  under  the  circumstances.  They 
were  placed  in  an  ugly  position  by  the  authorities,  suffered  severely 
for  it,  and  obeyed  their  orders.  No  doubt,  they  regretted  the  fatal 
necessity.  Some  idea  of  the  probable  feelings  of  those  who  fired 
the  fatal  volleys,  may  be  judged  of  from  the  fact  that  a  brother  of 
Mr.  Gedney,  who  wras  shot  dead  at  the  first  fire,  was  a  member  of 
one  of  the  companies  that  fired  the  volleys.  All  men  are  brethren — 
hut  here  wTas  brother  against  brother,  in  a  sense  that  the  most  unfeel- 
ing can  appreciate. 

A  distinguished  clergyman  of  this  city,  preaching  on  the  subject 
of  the  riot,  says  of  Macready  and  his  right  to  act — "  Though  he  had 
been  the  meanest  of  his  kind,  he  should  have  been  protected  here  to 
the  conclusion  of  his  announced  engagement,  if  an  army  of  ten  thou- 
sand men  had  been  required  to  wait  upon  his  movements,  and  a  ship 
of  war  chartered  to  convey  him  to  his  native  land.  We  have  done 
something  to  vindicate  order  and  law,  and  we  ought  to  have  done 
more." 


32 

A  zeal  for  the  rights  of  Mr.  Macready  and  his  friends,  and  for  the 
cause  of  law  and  order  is  commendable — but  it  must  not  be  forgot- 
ten that  other  rights  must  have  been  violated,  or  this  riot  could 
never  have  taken  place.  Those  ignorant  men  had  a  right  to  educa- 
tion, and  to  such  conditions  of  cultivation,  as  would  have  made  them 
intelligent  men  and  good  citizens.  They  would  never  have  raised 
their  hands  against  society,  had  society  done  its  duty  to  them.  Be- 
fore they  committed  this  wrong,  they  had  been  most  deeply  wronged 
themselves  ;  and  it  would  be  better  to  provide  ten  thousand  school- 
masters to  instruct  people,  than  ten  thousand  soldiers  to  prevent  the 
result  of  their  ignorance. 

Men  can  be  zealous  and  indignant  about  the  rigts  of  play  actors, 
or  their  patrons — and  we  have  no  disposition  to  deny  their  rights, 
or  to  interfere  with  the  lawful  exercise  of  them — but  they  forget  in 
how  many  ways  the  rights  of  our  brethren  are  violated,  and  not  a 
word  is  said  in  their  behalf.  Give  every  man  the  natural  and  social 
rights  that  belong  to  him  and  we  should  have  few  crimes  and  out- 
rages to  complain  of,  and  law  and  order  could  be  maintained  with- 
out standing  armies  or  ships  of  war. 

When  we  go  deep  into  the  investigation  of  social  wron^a,  we  shall 
find  that  society  brings  upon  itself  the  very  evils  it  attempts  to  sub- 
due. Society,  by  an  unjust  distribution  of  the  avails  of  industry,  en- 
ables a  few  men  to  become  rich,  and  consigns  a  great  mass  to  hope- 
less poverty,  with  all  its  deprivations  and  degradations.  This  pover- 
ty produces  ignorance,  the  sense  of  injustice,  grovelling  tastes,  and 
a  loss  of  all  high  ambition.  The  only  wonder  is  that  under  such  cir- 
cumstances of  wrong  and  outrage,  men  are  so  forbearing,  30  honest, 
and  so  orderly.  The  only  wonder  is  that  more  crimes  are  not  com- 
mitted against  both  property  and  life.  Thousands  of  poor  people 
know  that  they  are  robbed  and  plundered  every  day  of  their  lives — 
they  feel  bitterly  the  hardships  and  injustice  of  their  lot ;  but  how 
calmly  do  they  wait  God's  justice  to  set  them  right!  How  few  of 
them  comparatively  attempt  to  right  their  own  wrongs,  and  to  sieze 
upon  a  portion  of  what  society  withholds  from  them  ! 

This  terrible  tragedy  is  a  lesson  to  us  all.  None  can  escape  its 
warning.  We  are  all  responsible,  all  guilty  ;  for  we  make  a  part  of 
a  society  that  has  permitted  thousands  of  its  members  to  grow  up 
in  poverty  and  ignorance,  and  exposed  to  the  temptations  of  vice  and 
crime.  This  mob  is  but  a  symptom  of  our  social  condition,  and  it 
points  out  a  disease  to  which  we  should  lose  no  time  in  applying  a 
proper  remedy. 


THE    END. 


